How many punters find themselves hoping and praying for a late goal to complete their acca each week?
How many of us sit on our phones, frantically refreshing pages in the hope that the beloved ‘market suspended’ screen appears when seeking a late strike?
For one William Hill customer on Tuesday, their refresh finger would have gone into overdrive as their six-fold accumulator ticked over into injury time.
They had backed six teams to win on their coupon, with both teams to score in those games as well.
Things were going swimmingly, but one fixture – Crawley Town vs Peterborough United in the FL Trophy – was proving to be a particularly nasty thorn in the side.
The contest was poised at 1-1 as the fourth official dusted off their injury time board… would our punter get the late, late goal that they needed?
Home and Hosed
Betting on match result and both teams to score in the same game needs particular patterns of play to unfold for the selection to land.
Ideally, you want your match winner selection to score first and score early… before an end-to-end spectacle plays out that delivers further goals for both sides.
York City, hosting Rochdale at the LNER Community Stadium, complied somewhat by taking the lead in the 35th minute.
Rochdale hit back just four minutes later, which sent the game into the half-time break at 1-1.
But the Minstermen, our punter’s selection to win, showed their class in the second period, with Josh Stones at the double and Ollie Pearce completing his brace in a 4-1 triumph.
Another National League tie on Tuesday pitched Robbie Savage’s Forest Green against Tamworth, in what would prove to be a truly bizarre contest.
Tamworth had a man sent off after just five minutes, were forced to make a substitution four minutes after that and then, somehow, took the lad after 15 minutes through Manny Duku.
At least there was plenty of time for Forest Green to assert themselves on the contest, and the promotion hunters hit back with two goals before half time courtesy of Kyle McAllister and Temi Babalola.
Savage’s men started the game ten points clear of Tamworth, so it was no surprise when that gulf in class was exercised in the second period – Babalola notching his second and Nick Haughton adding a fourth as Forest Green ran out 4-2 winners.
Attention now turned to the EFL Trophy, where matters were rather less straightforward for our punter…
Double-Barrelled Delight
Arsenal’s Under-21s took an early lead at Cardiff, but the Bluebirds – who the William Hill customer in question fancied – hit back with a 19th minute equaliser.
Although Cardiff boss Barry Brian-Murphy took the opportunity to rest a number of his key players, his side still had the necessary quality to see off their youthful opposition – Will Spiers and Trey George helping the Welshmen to a 3-1 verdict.
Elsewhere, Harry Gray had put Leeds’ Under-21s a goal up at Accrington, and it would remain that way until the 69th minute – bad news for our punter, who had backed the hosts.
The final 20 minutes at the Wham Stadium were worth singing about. Accrington notched three times in the space of 12 minutes, before Gray pulled one back for Leeds. Would the League Two side cling on?
By hook or by crook, they managed to ride out the storm and seal a 3-2 win.
Next up, Wimbledon – our punter’s pick – made the short trip to Bromley. And the visitors got off to the ideal start when Antwoine Hackford put them ahead after 14 minutes.
Bromley drew level through Idris Odutayo, but the Dons found their second – and the game’s winning goal – courtesy of Marcus Browne after 73 minutes.
The last selection on the coupon was Peterborough, which is where things got a little tricky.
Posh took the lead in the first half through Jimmy-Jay Morgan, but Crawley’s Geraldo Bajrami found the net in the second period to level the contest.
The game was petering out into a draw, with all four minutes of the allotted injury time played. But in an ingenious pair of substitutions from Peterborough boss Luke Williams, Harry Leonard and Donay O’Brien-Brady combined for the former to assist the latter with a goal that came with just seconds to spare.
Posh won… and so too did the William Hill customer, whose £10 six-fold acca landed them a payday of £14,885!