SOCCER - Comical goals put Force on back foot

North Force held this year's first-division champions Lynn Avon to an action-packed 3-all draw in their penultimate game of the season at Kamo on Saturday.
The match was filled with end-to-end incident almost from the start.
North Force opened the scoring with a Steve Schimmel penalty in the 20th minute after striker Steve Crowley was nearly decapitated in the area by a defender trying to clear the ball.
The visitors showed their class by levelling the scores almost immediately before good work by Sammy Oso set up Scott Burgess to take the lead with 10 minutes to go before the break.
The home team may have led the match at the break but for a freakish long throw by the Lyn Avon keeper that caught everyone napping - except his striker - who was the first to the bouncing ball and headed it over the stranded Aaron Taylor in the North Force goal to equalise.
The second half saw both sides go close but it wasn't until 15 minutes to go that Lynn Avon took the lead - again, with a slightly comical goal. Several of the players from both sides thought play had been stopped for offside but, when Lynn Avon striker carried on to score, the goal stood.
Five minutes before the end, North Force, perhaps justifiably considering the previous goal, earned a second penalty for a slightly dubious challenge on Burgess in the area.
Schimmel made no mistake from the spot and both sides were probably happy to escape from the match with a point.
Earlier, the young North Force reserve side were outgunned by the Lynn Avon development side 5-0.
FC Whangarei now look unstoppable in the Northland premier grade after defeating Kamo 4-0 on Saturday.
Onerahi made a strong push to tie down second place with an emphatic 7-1 victory over Madhatters, while Kerikeri beat Central Brown 3-2 and Kaikohe surrendered a 2-0 lead to Tikipunga for a final 2-2 scoreline.