Millwey Rise Reserves shared four goals with visiting Amory Green Rovers Reserves at Cloakham Lawns, writes Dick Sturch.

This was a game of two penalties. The first put Amory Green Rovers in sight of their first win of the season, but the second, the last kick of the contest, saw that elusive first success snatched away from them!

The game started off at a fast pace with a series of Millwey corners which came to nothing.

The visitors managed to get in a couple of shots which failed to worry Rise skipper Terry Male in the Millwey goal.

Then, in the 10th minute after a clever series of passes, Mark Pike put ‘Rise’ ahead with a firm strike.

Amory Rovers came back strongly and twice came very close to levelling the score before Millwey striker Tim Phillips was ‘sin binned’ when he had a disagreement with the referee after being brought down in the visitors’ penalty area.

Five minutes into the second period, Amory scored when the home side stood still and allowed the visiting forward a free header, which he duly despatched past Male.

The Mid Devon men went close again when a shot struck the upright. For all, Millwey’s dominance in mid-field their striking ability was certainly poor and, in the course of five minutes, they spurned three golden opportunities to demoralise the visitors.

Then, midway through the half, the visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul inside the box. The spot kick was duly tucked away and Rise trailed 2-1.

The home side were their own worst enemies as the game progressed, spurning chance after chance, and it appeared Amory Rovers were going to chalk up their first victory of the season.

However, with the clock ticking down, during a Rise attack, a forward was adjudged to have been fouled and a penalty was awarded and up stepped home glovesman Male to calmly tuck the spot kick past his opposite number to ensure honours ended even.

Overall this was a poor game from Millwey’s perspective as the points were there for the taking.

Sam Turner, included to give him some ‘match time’ after his recent injury, was Millwey’s Man of the Match (the award sponsored by Turner & Gibson Decorating), while young Finlay Cox worked hard both in attack and defence and James Morgan was a steadying influence to the back four in front of Male.

On Saturday (March 16), Millwey’s first team travel to Teignmouth Reserves while the Rise second team host Sandford Reserves at Cloakham Lawns (3pm).