A crunch match in the National League has rarely produced a better spectacle! Title challengers Cheltenham and Lancaster slugged it out like heavyweight boxers in front of a large crowd at Millfield School. After 27 exclusion fouls and almost 75 minutes of committed action, it all ended in a 17-17 draw.

In truth, the result helped neither side. A point apiece merely watered down from four points to three the target Bristol Central require from matches against Manchester and Rotherham at Loughborough University on 8/9 December to secure their first championship since 2001 (click on News page for more details).

Bristol had already achieved their main Millfield target – a 14-12 victory over Cheltenham on day one. Inevitably, this was another tense affair, the start of the last period seeing the sides all square at 9-9. The score progressed to 10-10 before Bristol’s internationals Craig Figes and Matt Thresher scored in quick succession to give their side a crucial 12-10 advantage.

Bristol owed much to an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Andy Crawford. Thresher (4), Figes (3), Paul Morris (3) and Brad Poole (2) led their scorers. David Taylor (4), Rob Parker (2), Mike Thomas (2) and Alex Parsonage (2) were the main Cheltenham marksmen.

The result added to the significance of the Cheltenham-Lancaster clash.

Lancaster led 6-3 and 9-6 at different stages but could never quite shake off Cheltenham’s gritty challenge. Cheltenham, with Rob Parker outstanding, recovered form 10-7 down to lead 11-10 for a brief spell in the third period. Lancaster then reasserted themselves to go 15-13 up near the end of the third – only for Cheltenham to level once again at 15-15 early in the fourth.

Lancaster goalkeeper David Bush and the Lancaster defence at full stretch during the 17-17 draw with Cheltenham. Photo: Mike Coles.

Eventually, it was all settled in the last nine seconds of the match.

At that point, Mike Thomas sneaked a shot inside the near post of goalkeeper Dave Bush to level the match at 17-17. Even with so little time remaining, Lancaster still looked for a winner – and almost stole the points. First, young goalkeeper Sam Legge thwarted Scott Carpenter, resulting in a corner. From that, a Carpenter shot was charged down by defender Mike Thomas, leaving the teams with a point apiece.

Scorers – Cheltenham: David Taylor (5), Parker (4), Max Gerasimov (2), Alex Parsonage (2), Mike Thomas, Joel Thomas, Mark Banwell, Nigel Greenwood. Lancaster: Carpenter (5), Tom Curwen (5), Colin Burgess (4), Robinson, Kerekes, Detko.

Earlier, Curwen scored six in Lancaster’s 15-11 defeat of Rotherham.

Otter suffered relegation for the second time in three years, not helped, of course, by the deduction of six points for including an ineligible player in three earlier matches.

Their fixture with Portobello effectively determined which of the two would be relegated – and who would face a play-off against Division Two runners-up Solihull at Loughborough on 8/9 December.

Portobello looked home and dry after building an 8-3 lead midway through the second period. But Otter gradually worked their way back into the match and pulled level at 11-11 near the end of the third period.

It wasn’t enough. The Scots rallied again and eventually edged a 14-13 victory. Fraser Rutherford scored five of their goals, with Berk Goksal contributing four for Otter. Later, Otter at least had the satisfaction of departing the top flight with a good win – they recovered from 6-2 down to beat Penguin 11-10 thanks to a Goksal long shot eight seconds from the end.

Polytechnic beat Portobello 9-7 but went down 12-9 to Welsh Wanderers, despite leading 8-3 at one stage.

Penguin and Welsh Wanderers produced their usual close encounter. The sides had already drawn 10-10 this season, the other match ending in a 9-8 Penguin win. This time, Penguin won 8-7, with Bruce Elder scoring four for the London side and Charlie Hinder four for Wanderers.

Manchester’s Sean Ryder contributed seven in his team’s 18-8 victory over Rotherham.

GB Juniors went down 14-9 to Manchester but claimed an impressive scalp when they defeated Bristol 9-6, including three goals by left-hander Will Middleton. They were 6-1 up before a Bristol team without Craig Figes and Danny Williams stirred themselves and mounted a comeback.