Golcar United came from 3-1 down at half-time to beat AFC Darwen 4-3 with top scorer Ash Flynn bagging all four goals on an amazing – and emotional – night at the Skye Direct Stadium.
Flynn, the league’s 24-goal top scorer, was the star of the show on the field but off it there was a tribute to club stalwart Wayne Knapton, a former player and manager, who died in June.
Fittingly, the Weavers went back joint top of the North West Counties Division One North table with Bury AFC, who dropped points in a 1-1 draw with AFC Blackpool, the side which inflicted a 4-1 defeat on Golcar on Saturday.
Nathan Bond and Clayton Gorman scored two early goals to shock the Skye Direct Stadium before Flynn pulled one back on the half-hour mark. Gorman grabbed his second two minutes later and Golcar were 3-1 down at the break.
The fightback started in the 57th minute when Flynn was hauled down in the box. The striker got up to slam home the penalty to give Golcar hope at 3-2.
In the 70th minute there was a minute’s applause for Wayne Knapton, who served the club as both player, team captain, manager and player-manager.
Knappy – as he was affectionately known – joined the Weavers in 1993. A former pub landlord, he died in summer and the club welcomed his family and friends to the game as guests of honour.
With emotions running high off the pitch, the energy transferred to the players and Flynn completed his hattrick courtesy of an Oliver Willitts long throw, levelling the score at 3-3.
With the atmosphere bouncing inside the stadium the roof nearly came off just two minutes later when Willitts set up Flynn again to complete an amazing comeback and a unlikely 4-3 victory for the home side.
Golcar are at home again on Saturday when strugglers Ilkley Town are the visitors.
