CAMMELL Laird 1907 suffered late heartache at a rain-soaked Kirklands as they conceded a 96th minute penalty to lose 4-3 to high-flying Abbey Hey.

Ten man Lairds had twice come back from two goals down after a stunning second half display saw the hosts level at 3-3 through James Eaton's 79th minute equaliser. 

But with the clock ticking deep into added time, Will Shawcross converted a spot kick to leave Lairds in the North West Counties First Division South relegation zone at the end of 2023. 

Despite the awful conditions, both sides were determined to play football and the visitors had the best of the early encounters, before almost taking the lead when the dangerous Shawcross rounded Thomas Adshead only for Matthew Beaman to make a brilliant goal line clearance. 

Just three minutes later, the Mancunians were ahead when Ashley Woods powered home a header following a pin point cross from the left.

The game's most controversial moment came five minutes before half time as Ross Waring and Ben McNamara rose to challenge for a header with the Lairds' player left in a heap after a clear elbow to the face. 

After a long period of treatment to a cut to Waring's chin, the referee brandished a yellow card for the Red Rebels' player when it could easily have been a red. 

Lairds began the second half well but the game looked to be beyond them on the hour mark after Shawcross found the net directly from a corner which was badly misjudged by Adshead. 

But far from being dead and buried, the home side responded brilliantly and immediately halved the deficit when a loose ball reached Eaton lurking on the edge of the area resulting in the Lairds player smashing the ball home through a crowded box.

As the torrential rain continued so did the action and the visitors regained their two goal advantage just three minutes later when Dillon Edmundson latched on to a through ball and rounded the onrushing Adshead with ease. 

There was no let up in the play and Lairds dragged themselves back into the game yet again when Beamon rose to head home an Eaton corner as the hosts sensed an extraordinary turned around.

Yet again, the referee would play his part in stifling Lairds' hopes as he adjudged Richard Ley's mistimed sliding tackle on 73 minutes a red card offence to the shock of many watching. 

Unperturbed, Lairds surged forward again and got their deserved equaliser through Eaton who completed his brace with a neat finish at the far post through the keeper's legs with 11 minutes to go. 

Both sides continued to slug it out for the reminder of the match before the referee indicated five minutes of added time.

It was just enough for the visitors who were awarded a penalty following a foul just inside the area with Shawcross sending the keeper the wrong way to take the three points back to Manchester.

"I'm very disappointed," said Lairds boss Andy Cass. "I'm proud of the lads for getting back into it but that's been the story of our season so far with a mistake right at the end. 

"It was a penalty but I felt on balance the referee gave them everything all day which sounds like sour grapes but we were down to ten men unfairly and a blatant red card against them was not given in the first half - I'm not sure how an elbow to the face can be anything but violent and I think everyone was surprised it wasn't a red card. 

"Even their management team were laughing at the red card at our expense and it left us with a mountain to climb."

Despite the defeat and Lairds' current position in the division's bottom three, Cass said he was confident his side will improve in the new year.

"We were dead and buried at 3-1 so I'm proud of the lads for getting back into it but we are conceding too many goals," he added.

"That has been the story so far this season which is why we are down there - we've been punished for mistakes and we haven't capitalised on mistakes and this is a tough league. 

"If you look at the league table people would've expected us to get beaten today and I thought they were really good in the first half but we've beaten them in the cup and drawn at their place in the league and we can beat anyone.

"We'll get through it and we've got to keep plugging away - I'd like to think mistakes will be few and far between after making so many and we've got to learn from them.

"I think we look a good squad and a good side - these lads are decent and it's just not going for us at the moment."