Goalscorer Joe Briggs goes from hero to villain in Moneyfields' late defeat to Sholing

Briggs had struck a 63rd-minute equaliser after the visitors fell behind to an early goal.

But with Moneyfields on course for a much-needed point, deep into stoppage time the goalscorer inexplicably handled a harmless cross into the area to concede the fatal penalty.

Dan Mason made no mistake from the spot, leaving the visitors still searching for their first win of the year.

It left the Moneys manager Dave Carter bemoaning his side's luck.

‘I don't think Joe could have got his hands any higher above his head,’ said Carter.

‘He misjudged the flight of the ball into our area and was really upset afterwards.

‘In the changing room after the game he couldn't explain why his hand was up there.

‘Ironically, their throw during the build up should have been awarded to us because it came off one of their players.

‘When you are down there things tend to go against you.

‘Even in the warm-up, we lost our goalkeeper Max Flintoff to injury.

‘It is gutting because we were superb in the second half and looked like the only team who were going to win it.’

Mason gave the Boatmen a ninth-minute lead, smashing a 20-yard shot past replacement goalkeeper Ellis Grant.

But Briggs grabbed the equaliser with a shot into the bottom corner after Steve Hutchings held the ball up on the edge of the area.

The visitors looked the better side and had Sholing on the back foot until the late disaster.

‘It was a stop-start affair and although we had seven players booked, there wasn't a bad tackle in the game,’ said Carter.

The defeat leaves Moneyfields third from bottom, two points ahead of bottom side Barnstaple Town.

Carter's men face a difficult trip to fifth-placed Larkhall Athletic on Wednesday night.