Trailing 5-1 going into the final ten minutes, Kevin Chappell’s side staged a grandstand finish with three goals in the closing minutes but in an all too familiar story it was too little, too late.

The visitors started sluggishly and found themselves behind after three minutes. Trojans worked the ball round the baseline allowing their centre-forward a simple finish from five yards out.

Marlow hit back and levelled through a trademark Charlie Olley penalty corner on 24 minutes, but all was not well in the visitors’ camp. Trojans’ direct style seemed to be causing Marlow problems and but for a string of first half saves from goalkeeper Ross Bone the score line could have been very different at the interval.

In the second half the game really sparked into life. Bone had already seen off a penalty corner in the opening exchanges but then, with skipper Alex Land taking a break in the sin bin, Trojans nudged into the lead with another penalty corner which this time defeated the defence and goalkeeper.

Marlow began to build back into the game with some good spells of possession, with Land and Paul Hayes linking up well to cause the home defence problems. With 18 minutes remaining however the game was turned on its head. The Skipper made a tackle to break down play and was shown a yellow card. With Marlow a man light the hosts took full advantage, netting three times in a devastating five minute spell.

As is customary in these situations, Chappell withdrew the Marlow goalkeeper, and the Swans started their comeback. Imre Gerrits and Chris Land combined to set up Hayes to reduce the arrears on 63 minutes. With three minutes left, Olley thought he had his second but the umpire adjudged the ball not to have crossed the line in a moment of high controversy. The No9 did bag his second a minute later to make it 5-3 and despite Ed Dillon being sent off for a stick tackle, Gerrits notched Marlow’s fourth. With Trojans clearly panicking, the clock just beat the visitors, who ran out of time and could not complete their great escape.

Clichés spring to mind in these situations: Too little, too late. Game of two halves. What might have been and plenty more besides. Some time for reflection for the Red Men before their next big challenge against Horsham next weekend at Fortress Pound Lane.

Man of the Match: Ross Bone

DOD: Alex Land.

Report by Top of the D