The Moles held at home by Southall despite Lynch on target on his debut.
Binfield’s new striker Conor Lynch scored and impressed on his Binfield debut but it wasn’t enough as Binfield drew one-all against ten-men Southall, putting a dent into their playoff ambitions.
After Tuesday’s defeat to top-of-the-table Basingstoke, the Moles were looking for a response and controlled the game with large parts of possession but struggled to open up the Southall defence. Lewis Pegg’s soft header from Jonny Denton’s corner was Binfield’s best chance of the opening half an hour. Southall’s Luke Henneghan also tested Binfield’s Harvey Rackley-Hayes but it was comfortably dealt with
On 35 minutes, Binfield opened the scoring. Conor Lynch, who was announced as a Mole less than six hours earlier, closed down Southall’s keeper Beakley Laurencin, dispossessed him and slotted away coolly. Hopefully the first of many for Lynch in Binfield Red.
Binfield had a golden opportunity to double their lead moments later, but Harrison Bayley couldn’t quite find the target from a terrific ball.
Southall FC got their deserved equaliser right on the stroke of half time when Jaden Thompson-Brissett was played through in-behind but both Kai Hobbs and Liam Gavin initially dealt with it really well. However, the loose ball was picked up by Luke Henneghan who superbly chipped the ball over Rackley-Hayes and into the back of the net.
Whilst the team’s were evenly matched in the first half, the Moles stepped it up in the second and controlled the match. They had a great chance to re-take the lead on the hour mark when James Beauchamp and Connor Holland linked up as the ball came into the box. The ball fell to Lynch but his shot was blocked and the ball ricocheted around the box before eventually being cleared. It was the goalscorer Lynch who could have doubled his tally when Kai Hobbs picked him out with a wonderful cross but he couldn’t quite wrap his foot around the ball and it fell the wrong side of the post.
Then Binfield had a golden opportunity to take all three points. Hobbs picks up the ball and drops the shoulder to get past Henneghan. He then uses both his pace and strength to get on the end of a one-two and looks to strike for goal. He is taken out Kevin Diomande resulting in a penalty to the Moles and Diomande being dismissed for the challenge. Substitute Brad Pagliaroli had the responsibility from the spot but his effort was saved by Laurencin.
The Moles pushed for a winner but the 10 men of Southall stay strong and resilient. It ends a disappointing week for the previously in-form Moles after their 1-0 defeat to Basingstoke on Tuesday but they will be looking to get back to winning ways against Uxbridge under the lights at Hill Farm Lane…
