Hungerford Town FC – an OK draw away
A stoppage‑time setback denied Hungerford Town all three points on Saturday. A late Wimborne equaliser cancelled out what had been an encouraging away performance from the Crusaders.
With a flurry of new signings arriving during the week, supporters were eager to see who would feature. In the end, it was two familiar faces who returned to the squad: centre‑back Jerry Gyebi and forward Kyle Tooze.
Reading loanee Carter Bowdrey looked lively from the outset. His early cross towards Ramarni Medford‑Smith was inches from finding its target before a Wimborne defender intervened. Up front, Charlie Austin worked tirelessly, carving out a chance for Joe Shepherd, whose looping effort from distance was comfortably gathered by Magpies keeper Ben Rodwell.
Captain Rhys Tyler delivered a superb cross midway through the half, only for Austin to glance his effort narrowly over the bar. Tyler continued to trouble the hosts, embarking on a solo run moments later that ended with a shot drifting just wide.
At the other end, Owen Roundell forced Luke Cairney into a strong save on the half‑hour mark. The sides went into the break level after a competitive and evenly matched first half.
Hungerford needed just five minutes of the second half to break the deadlock. A lofted ball over the top from Bowdrey released the electric Thomas Conthe, who beat Rodwell to the bounce, rounded the keeper and slotted into an empty net. It was no more than the forward deserved after tormenting the Wimborne defence all afternoon.
Wimborne responded with pressure of their own, as Lewis Williams and Will Fletcher both tested Cairney, but the Hungerford goalkeeper stood firm.
In the closing stages, Hungerford were forced into defensive reshuffles due to injuries and the disruption proved costly. A long ball forward caused hesitation at the back, and the loose ball eventually fell to Max Bustamante, who fired past the helpless Cairney to level the match.
Photo by kind permission of Hungerford Town Football Club
