A HUGE call from referee Ian Walsh left a bitter taste as Albion Sports were held to 1-1 draw at home by Worksop Town in their Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division mid-table battle.

The sides were evenly matched and gave their all in an entertaining game but the Tigers’ equaliser deep into stoppage time would have been a mere consolation had the match official’s call just eight minutes into the second half gone the way of the home side.

Albion were 1-0 up at the time as Danny Facey raced trough to beat visiting keeper Callum Fielding to a through ball.

The Albion striker poked the ball past the onrushing keeper, who then sprawled in front of Facey’s feet.

There was contact as the striker went to ground but the referee reached into his pocket and brandished a yellow card for simulation.

The Lions’ boss Kulwinder Sandhu was unimpressed with the decision but felt his side had enough chances to win the game without the aid of a spot kick.

He said: “I thought we were the better side throughout the game but we didn’t get what we deserved.

“At 1-0, Danny goes through and that’s a penalty - absolutely no doubt about it.

"If we score then its game over and we get three points. I thought the referee was poor but we haven’t won because we didn’t take our chances.

“We created more than enough but you have to put them away. I felt sorry for our keeper Jake (Lofthouse) because he deserved a clean sheet - he’d been outstanding.”

Lofthouse was finally beaten in the fourth minute of six that the referee deemed necessary.

Worksop striker Charlie Baird picked up a rebound inside the area and fired a shot across the home keeper that went in off the inside of the far post.

The Albion Lions had held the lead for 90 minutes as Josh Morley’s fourth-minute free-kick was inadvertently headed past his own keeper by Worksop centre back Lee Hill, although Sam Denton was credited with the goal on the league’s website.

Liversedge v Thackley - the big local derby in the same division - was shelved after a morning pitch inspection.

The heavy rain during the week had left the pitch at Sedge’s Clayborn waterlogged.

Eccleshill United kept the pressure on leaders Knaresborough Town in Division One with a 3-2 win at third-placed Grimsby Borough, thanks to a late Matt Mathers goal.

Goals from Andy Cooper and Antony Brown either side of half-time put the Eagles in a strong position but Boro, who were looking to close the gap on the automatic promotion places, came back strongly.

Ben Sibbick halved the arrears just after the hour, and Danny Trott levelled with 20 minutes remaining, but Mathers ensured all three points returned to Bradford as he got a glancing header to Luke Harrop’s last-minute free-kick.

Silsden sent down a strong message in the Hallmark Security League with a home victory over their nearest challengers for the Division One title.

The leaders were hosting second-placed Litherland REMYCA and raced out of the blocks.

Kyle Hancock gave them a first-minute lead and Chris Wademen doubled it after just 11 minutes.

After the Cobbydalers’ quick start, there was a Quirk response from the visitors as Colin Quirk forced the ball in following a goalmouth scramble in the 68th minute.

There were some nervy moments for the home supporters as the visitors pressed but Silsden defended well.