LEWIS Franklin's stoppage-time winner secured all three points for Stotfold on Saturday as Cirencester lost ground on the Southern League Division One Central play-off places.

Ben Whitehead's stunning strike put the hosts ahead late in the first-half, but a second-half comeback, sealed in injury time by Franklin, saw The centurions return home empty-handed.

It was an even first-half of football and both sides had chances. Cirencester keeper Stuart Nelson tipped a Henry Snee free-kick onto the crossbar before he produced a stunning reflex save to deny Ashley Kersey.

At the other end, Felix Miles charged onto a through ball to go one-on-one with the advancing Kyle Forster, but his chipped finish from 25-yards out fell the wrong side of the crossbar.

There was a short delay to the game just after the half-hour mark when Cirencester's Dan Hill collided with Stotfold's Callum Kane, an incident that saw Hill removed from the pitch on a stretcher.

That meant there was a significant amount of stoppage time added on at the end of the first-half and the visitors took advantage in sensational style.

Whitehead collected a loose ball in midfield and held off a couple of challenges as he moved towards the centre of the pitch before unleashing a fierce strike from 30 yards out that flew into the top right corner.

Miles lost out in another one-on-one with Forster early in the second-half as Cirencester looked for the killer second goal. Miles, who somehow did not find the back of the net, also had a strike parried away by the impressive home keeper.

But Stotfold responded and began to apply pressure on the Cirencester goal. Nelson had to react well on a number of occasions to keep the score at 1-0 before he was eventually beaten.

A cross towards the back post saw Nelson beaten in the air and Ball was on hand to stab home from close range to bring the hosts level.

Cirencester pushed to get back in front but it was their efforts to find a winner that cost them a point in the end as a Stotfold counter ended with Franklin's deflected strike beating Nelson and finding the back of the net.