The news that the most recent effective striker at the club, Michael Coulson, had returned to Barnsley was not an ideal start to proceedings and although Townson had produced an early save from MacKenzie it was Connett that had to work harder to keep scores level with a couple of quality saves. Yet he must have been relieved to see a Blackwood header strike the upright. Maylett shot wide from the edge of the box but the general pattern of play looked all too familiar and when James Constable crossed to the far post RICHARDS scored with ease.

Starting the second half with a goal deficit, Vics came out on the offensive and Maylett struck the outside of the post. A wave of Vics attacks clearly unsettled the visitors and when Townson worked an opening for WILLIAMS he showed the kind of finishing that we had been accumstomed to last season to score the equalising goal. Vics pressed for that vital second goal and, although Townson produced an important save before again going close, they were unable to conjure that vital finish and were troo often ineffective inside that vital final quarter of the field. Their frustration was furthered by the loss of Michael Byrne with what appeared a serious injury very late in the game and only a reflex save by Connett to turn a Richards effor over his bar ensured the point and the minimum that his team had earned.
However it has to be said that Maamria and Steele have indicated an ability to bring the best out of the current squad available to them, leaving some room for a measure of optimism.

Team: 4-4-2
Connett /
Battersby, Wilson, Strong, Brown /
Maylett (Byrne 75 mins (Johnson 88 mins) ), Carr, Heslop, Williams /
Tait (Maamria 80mins) Townson /
Subs not used: Murphy & Birch
Referee: S.M.R. Proctor
Attend: 481
Man of the Match: Michael Carr