Southern League South West

Bristol Manor Farm 3

Shortwood United 3

By Jim Cunnen

SHORTWOOD staged a staggering comeback to gain their first point of the season at Bristol Manor Farm.

Earlier, the Nailsworth side found themselves 3-0 down, but three second-half goals earned Des Meredith's side a share of the spoils.

Manor Farm almost snatched back all three points in the dying seconds of injury time when a thumping drive from substitute Jake Cox was finger-tipped against the bar by Shortwood keeper Harry Pickering. 

A delighted Meredith said: "Apart from a sloppy last 10 minutes of the first-half I was really pleased. A positive result like this will give us confidence. It was a great team effort and I cannot single anyone out for man-of-the-match.

Earlier, Ryan Thwaite headed a good early chance for Wood wide and in the 10th minute both sides swapped chances with Pickering saving from Metter and Harlie Price chipping the ball straight at keeper Clark.

Ryan Kibble had a shot deflected over and Price tested Clark with a low shot. The pace was relentless as Pickering saved well from Stamp and Clark matched his effort denying Levi Cox.

Wood conceded the first goal after 37 minutes when they lost the ball in midfield. Farm poured forward at speed and Metter shot home low into the corner. Manor Farml doubled the lead four minutes later when Turner headed a corner home at the near post.

Meredith headed a corner wide of the far post just after the break before Wood conceded again. The Farm broke again and Stamp fired across Pickering into the far corner.

Barely had Manor Farm stopped celebrating when Pickering launched the ball long, Price flicked on and Cox ran on before firing low past Clark.

When Lewis Fogg whipped in a free-kick for Meredith to hit the ball home first time from the edge of the box just seven minutes later Wood were back in it. They really should have levelled when there was an almighty scrimmage in the six yard box, but no one could force it home and the ball dropped agonisingly inches wide.

The leveller was not long in coming though. Fogg again provided the cross and this time Cox met the ball with a header to tie the game up.

Wood were exuberant, but they still had work to do in the last 25 minutes.

Ben Prictor became the hero as he cleared a header from Stamp off the line and Meredith threw everything in the way of a Metter shot.

In the very last minute Pickering touched the bar onto the bar.

Shortwood: Pickering, Noakes (Freeman 67), Prictor, Meredith R, Thwaite, Kibble, Fogg, Morris, Marks, Price H, Cox