Lockett strikes late winner on Daisy Community Day

Just as the game appeared to be heading for a goalless draw after a free-flowing 90 minutes, Lockett struck with virtually the last kick of the game to send a good-sized crowd home happy, on a day when spectators were admitted free on the club’s Community Day.

After the game Lockett, who only entered the action 20 minutes from time as a substitute, was keen to emphasise it had been a good all-round team display.

“The lads got stuck in all game, and I thought it was a really good performance,” said Lockett.

“Defensively I thought we did well, although without Morgan (Newns) in goal, it could have been three or four today, he made some really good saves, and it was a good clean sheet for us.

“I knew today I’d be on the bench, and had to prepare mentally for getting a chance to come on and do the best I could for all the boys.

“Obviously, it was a great time to score so late in the game. It was a great ball from Mussab (Benaly) over the top, I thought I took a good first touch, and then a finish into the bottom corner in the last minute.

“We had a good turnout for the club’s Community Day, and it was nice to put the cherry on the cake and send them home having seen a win.

“It’s strange to see how far down the league Route One Rovers are. They are a really good footballing side who had midfielders who were good on the ball, so to come away with three points against them is a really positive result for us.

“I can’t put my finger on why we have been inconsistent recently. Our mentality is really good, everything is fine and everyone is buzzing, but we can’t just stop here now. We have got to start getting a good run going, and we can look forward to the next game after this result.”

Both teams were committed to attack from the start, and it was Daisy who enjoyed the best of the early exchanges.

In the second minute Ryan Talbot appeared to have a good shout for a penalty when he was sent tumbling in the box under a challenge, but the referee waved the appeals away, and almost immediately afterwards Sam Twist tested the Route One keeper Isaac Khan with a dipping volley that the keeper did well to push round the post.

At the midway point of the first half, Daisy striker Kaiden Barlow tapped the ball into the net from close range, but celebrations were cut short by the flag of the assistant referee.

Alex Dodd almost grabbed an unorthodox opener for Daisy a few minutes later, when he charged down a clearance from Route One keeper Khan, but the ball ricocheted off his shin and flew narrowly over.

In the closing stages of the first half, Route One began to apply some pressure and after Mohamed Wassa saw a shot just miss the target, Daisy keeper Morgan Newns made a fine blocking save in a one-on-one with striker Hunain Raoof.

The end-to-end flow of play continued after the break with Barlow forcing a save from Khan, and at the other end, Daisy defender Kyle Whittaker reacted quickly to clear a Raoof shot off the line, before Musa Jallow rifled in a shot that flashed past the far post.

Just after the hour, an incredible sequence of play saw Daisy’s Scott Johnston hit the post with a header and then Barlow followed up to be denied by a great block from Khan before rifling a third effort over.

The pace of the game did not drop as the second half wore on, and chances continued to be created at both ends.

Daisy’s Ben Unsworth was unlucky to see his header from Jake O’Brien’s corner just miss the target, and at the other end Newns made a great stop to push away a well struck effort from Muhammad Arshad.

But the dramatic finale to the game arrived in the final minute of stoppage time, when a terrific cross field ball from Benaly switched play beautifully to find Lockett in space on the left, and after a great first touch, he placed a low shot across the outstretched hand of Khan into the far corner of the net to clinch victory.

Daisy are back in action on Saturday when they host Skelmersdale United in the league.