WOODLEY UNITED staged an outstanding second-half comeback to earn three points away at FC Deportivo Galicia.
The hosts had won all four of their league games going into the match, but the Kestrels ensured that their unbeaten run came to an end.
The hosts kicked off and were immediately penned into their own half as Woodley pressed high winning two corners and Ciaron Carolan twice having penalty claims waved away despite being upended in the opening three minutes.
Apart from Naim Mejdoubi outrunning the visitors’ defence in the 14th minute, which Mark Williams was able to deny the winger a shot the opening quarter hour saw Woodley in the ascendency and Carolan proving a handful for the home defence.
Both goalkeepers exchanged saves within two minutes. Connor Suckling’s cross saw Miguel Sanchez parry Sid Gbla’s goal bound header while Andrew Walker did well to turn Fran Naut’s shot over the cross bar in the 17th minute.
United continued to pressure but saw shots go wide or crosses into the penalty area evade the oncoming forwards and were made to pay for failing to score when quick passing by Deportivo enabled Juan Devia to fire a low shot to Walker’s left to open the scoring in the t37th minute.
Immediately Carolan was flagged offside from an Elliott Rushforth pass. United fell further behind in the 41st minute when a short corner allowed an unmarked Naut to head into the goal from Devia’s cross.
Again Woodley responded well with Carolan reducing the deficit two minutes later when he received a pass from Suckling with his back to goal and turned in the goal area to stroke the ball into the net.
Within three minutes of the restart United were level with the visitors keeping the pressure on the home defence following a Marco DeSousa free kick which was cleared to Zach Tull to drive from the edge of the penalty area into the top left hand corner of Sanchez’s net.
Woodley subsequently went through a frantic period of play and survived Naut shooting over the cross bar and Saj Qail being allowed to turn in the penalty area and shoot over Walker’s cross bar.
Play began to go from end to end with Deportivo playing a high defensive line that saw them punished in the 73rd minute.
Sanchez’s clearance outside the penalty area went to Sid Gbla whose cross field pass to the right hand side found Suckling in the penalty area to finish first time.
The comeback was completed by substitute Abdul Afolabi who scored twice in three minutes.
Jahson Downes’ pass split the defence to allow Afolabi to evade a tackle by Sanchez outside his penalty area to roll the ball into an empty net from twenty yards in the 86th minute to be followed by him receiving another Downes pass inside his own half and running unchallenged to slot the ball pass inside Sanchez’s left hand post.
Woodley United: Walker, DeSousa, Massaquoi (Chowdhary), Rushforth (Nunes), Williams, Tull, Gbla, Brandao, Carolan (Afolabi), Downes (Stevens), Suckling (Touray)
