A Riece Bertram equaliser ensured nine-man Carlton Town earned another point away from home as they drew 1-1 at Ossett Utd this afternoon.
Bertram headed home a Kieran Walker long throw as the Millers earned the point their performance merited. However, for the second away game in succession Carlton ended the game with nine men as Oliver Robinson and Tyler Blake were both sent off in added time.
In front of an excellent home attendance of 428 Ossett began well and Bertram did well to stop an early Tom Greaves shot on the line before Shiraz Khan fired over the bar.
Greaves then latched onto a poor clearance by Jack Steggles but the goalkeeper did well to save Greaves’s instant shot.
At the other end Opoku slipped the ball through to Tyler Blake who lifted his shot just over Brett Souter but, unfortunately for Carlton, just over the bar.
Spence then fired just wide as Carlton enjoyed a rare spell of pressure.
Pick had an effort at goal after a Walker throw was only half cleared but Souter made a comfortable save.
The half ended with Carlton’s best spell as Henry Rollinson fired just wide from a free kick after Pick was fouled by Andy Monkhouse.
Ossett had plainly been spoken to at half time and came out with purpose in the second half and went ahead on 51 minutes. A cross from the left was well saved by Steggles and cleared by Connor Bartle at the back post. From the resultant corner Greaves found himself unmarked to head home at the near post.
Carlton’s heads didn’t drop and they were level within 12 minutes. A long throw from Walker was headed home by Bertram with Souter unsighted.
As the game headed towards its closing stages, Ossett pushed forward but without a great deal of invention. Aiden Chippendale fired a cross-shot just wide and in added time Steggles made another decent save from Greaves.
With the match in the fifth minute of the five added minutes Ossett earned a corner. The ball was played into the area, Steggles caught it and there followed a “handbags” melee. The referee and linesman intervened and Robinson plus Ossett’s Jason Burke were sent off for some fisticuffs.
Carlton were awarded a free kick and when Steggles launched it forward, Tyler Blake went in late on James Knowles, an offence the referee deemed worthy of a straight red card. It was ten against nine for the final couple of minutes but the Millers held on to their point, to the delight of the small band of travelling supporters whom the players acknowledged before leaving the pitch.
