Mardy AFC - 5

Albion Rovers - 4

It must be extremely rare for a team to concede four goals twice to the same opposition and still win both games but that's exactly what happened on Saturday when Mardy beat visitors Albion Rovers 5-4 after beating them 6-4 earlier in the season Writes Clive Harry.

Because of illness and unavailability, it was an unusual looking Mardy team that took the field containing no recognised centre backs, 48 year old Ben Shooter in goal and two sixteen year olds in Josh Parfitt making his debut and Ellis Morgan.

Despite their unfamiliarity with the team set up, Mardy made a good start with Mark Hughes firing over the bar after two minutes and Jack Williams opening the scoring eleven minutes later with a well struck shot from the left of the penalty area.

Less than ten minutes later, they were two goals to the good with Williams involved again by putting a free kick perfectly into the danger zone for top scorer Ross Melrose to glance home. Rovers weren't causing too many problems but were back in the game after 27 minutes when Evan Manley scored with an unstoppable 25 yard shot which he curled into the top corner.

Two minutes later his side were level when Ciaran Rawlings scored from a seemingly impossible angle with a sliced shot that deceived everybody.

Things got even worse for Mardy five minutes before the break when Albion were awarded a penalty with goalkeeper Luke Hughes being called forward to confidently put his spot kick into the corner.

Incredibly, Mardy hit back with two goals of their own in first half injury time with Melrose capitalising on a slip from Hughes to score from close range before Nathan Price netted after another Williams assist to give his side a 4-3 half time lead.

The second half started competitively again and JayJay Simpson soon received a yellow card which would cost him later in the afternoon despite being substituted shortly afterwards.

Rovers were throwing everything at the home side and Shooter was called into action to make an excellent block at close range when a goal looked certain.

Musab Hussein then hooked a Williams corner just wide before Shooter kept his side in front twice in quick succession, firstly by saving a goal bound shot with his feet before somehow tipping a close range header over the bar from the subsequent corner.

However, an equaliser finally arrived with eleven minutes remaining when Oliver Corten hoisted a free kick into the area and Marley Higgs rose above the defence to score.

There wasn't much time left but there was still plenty of action to be crammed in and Matt Wham headed a Williams corner just over before a Mark Hughes lob only just cleared the bar with the goalkeeper stranded.

Next, Manley was clean through on goal only for Shooter to deflect his shot past the post for an unproductive corner. However, a winning goal finally did arrive in injury time and it went to Mardy when a Wham free kick was flighted perfectly into the area where Price took the ball at pace with a flying volley to find the back of the net and prompt some riotous celebrations.

Nevertheless, there was still time before the final whistle for Simpson to receive a second yellow card and consequently a red after hampering a Rovers throw in. This Saturday the team will be at home again to Graig Villa Dino.

Mardy's second team also featured an unfamiliar looking line up but went down 2-1 to Fairfield Development with their goal coming from Max Williams. This Saturday the team have a free week with no fixture scheduled.