Burley Trojans 3

Pannal Sports 4

Trojans season continued to go from bad to worse as they surrendered a two goal lead against Pannal Sports before eventually being sunk by Joe Darcy's injury time winner.

It is now four straight league defeats for Gary Shankland's side -the club's worst run for six years. With the club ravaged by injuries to key players Trojans face an uphill battle in their remaining seven games to maintain their lofty position in the table.

In bitterly cold conditions it was the visitors who warmed to their task early on when Darcy gave his side the lead inside four minutes when he pounced on hesitation in the Trojans defence to convert Rob Taylor's teasing cross.

Trojans were stung into action and levelled within five minutes. Pannal were unable to deal with a corner and Richard Wood's well placed header beat 'keeper Lee Mitchell and eluded a defender on the line.

The lively Jonny Lofthouse fired in a snapshot which Mitchell caught under his crossbar whilst at the other end Chris Hargreaves pulled off a very smart stop at the foot of his post to deny Ian Carter. In a very open game neither defence looked really comfortable but the difficult surface made it difficult for either side to create many clear cut openings.

It was always likely that set pieces would provide Trojans' best chance of piercing the visitors rearguard and so it proved on the half hour when they were awarded a free-kick 30 yards from goal.

Lofthouse flighted the ball beyond the last defender and centre half Stuart Dibb stole in to steer his finish beyond Mitchell. Gareth Goodison created a chance for himself but his finish was inches too high with Mitchell stranded whilst Hargreaves had to keep out a Mark Baranovsky effort just before the break. Trojans lost midfielder Lee Stocks at the break and Shankland was forced to re-shuffle, introducing Chris Connolly in attack.

Connolly was at the heart of controversy early in the second-half when the visitors felt that he was guilty of using an elbow in two aerial challenges.

Referee Tony McGowan clearly viewed both clashes as accidental but the visitors then conducted a vendetta against the Trojans' substitute, with centre half Lee Parker in particular extremely fortunate to avoid further action for a number of crude challenges.

Trojans started to lose their earlier fluency but nevertheless extended their lead on the hour when substitute Chris Lockwood burst forward and slipped a measured pass to Man-of-the-Match Lofthouse who was coolness personified as he rounded Mitchell before sliding the ball home from a narrow angle.

Trojans then lost right back Matt Steer through injury and with Lockwood, who replaced him in the back four, lasting only five minutes before a recurrence of a long term injury forced him to play out the remainder of the game as a virtual passenger, former manager Chris Worts was pressed into action in defence. Pannal sensed that Trojans were out on their feet and pushed forward in numbers in search of a way back into the game. A series of corners were desperately defended with Dibb battling heroically against the physical Pannal forwards.

The visitors found a way back when substitute Neil Mortimer bundled home the loose ball in a goalmouth scramble. The home side were rocking and with ten minutes remaining Carter fired home through a crowded area to level. Just when it appeared that Trojans may hold out for a point Darcy profited from some poor defending to score with a low angled drive.

Trojans travel to Beckwithshaw on Saturday, kick-off 2.15pm. Players meet at the Cricket Club at 1.15pm.