JOE Connor believes it would have been a travesty if Pickering Town had come away with nothing to show for their second-half efforts at Bottesford on Saturday.

After a disappointing first half, the Pikes fought back from a two-goal deficit to salvage a 3-3 draw in Lincolnshire and maintain their 14th placed NCEL Premier Division standing.

Former Pikes winger Matthew Broadley and Cody Collins struck inside the opening 26 minutes to give the hosts an early lead, but after the in-form Omar Sanyang had missed a penalty, debutant Max Bauer’s effort on the stroke of half time gave Pickering a glimmer of hope.

Sanyang then levelled the scores with seven minutes left to play, but that only marked the start of the late drama.

Broadley was in the right place to smash home what looked to be a stoppage-time winner, but though Jamie Thornton was sent off in the aftermath, Ethan Kachosa marked his debut with an equaliser at the death as the spoils were shared.

“I’ve just said to them that I’m hugely, hugely proud of the second half performance and the way they’ve reacted and come out in the second half,” Connor explained to club media.

“But I’ve also challenged them that the first half wasn’t acceptable and that they let themselves down in that first half by not doing the things that they were asking them to do and not putting into plan what we’ve been working on with them.

“I’m massively, massively disappointed with the first half, but in the second half, there was only one team that was trying to win the game.

“We completely controlled the game, controlled possession, which is what we asked them to do. It would have been a travesty if we had come away with nothing.”

New recruits Kachosa, Bauer and Alex Zachariou slotted straight into Pickering’s line-up, but it took just three minutes for Bottesford to fire themselves in front when Broadley headed home Mason Chaffer’s pin-point cross.

The Pikes saw a shot hit the woodwork as they looked for a response, but were soon two goals adrift, a clearance cannoning off Collins and into the back of the net.

They were gifted a golden chance to halve the deficit after Sanyang was taken out by goalkeeper Graeme Anderson, but his effort from the spot was high and wide.

Bauer’s delicate chip on the stroke of half time however ensured all hope was not lost.

Pickering were the better side after the break but were dealt a blow when Man of the Match Blake Drury was stretchered from the field with a knee injury in the 75th minute.

However, they did find an equaliser with seven minutes left to play, Sanyang atoning for his penalty miss by turning home Ronnie Kelly’s pass along the six-yard box.

Late drama though ensued, with Broadley seeming to have secured the points for the hosts.

Thornton was sent off for his protests in the aftermath but the pendulum swung back Pickering’s way in the 11th minute of stoppage time when Kachosa blasted the ball into the roof of the net to earn his side a point.

The Pikes return to action at home to Beverley Town on Saturday (3pm).