It is no exaggeration to say that the Lilywhites should have won this game comfortably. In the final analysis it was their failure to take the multitude of chances they created that cost them two points.

They were up against a Park View side that until recently had been languishing at the bottom of the league but were now completely overhauled with new management and players recruited from higher levels. Since this overhaul they had won two games against much higher placed sides and it will probably a safe bet that they will climb to safety.

The Lilywhites therefore had a stern challenge ahead of them but it was one that they rose to in some style. From the kick-off the Lilywhites put pressure on the visitors’ goal and with a dominant first-half performance they should have taken a potentially match-winning lead into the break.

Hadley Richards brought a good save out of the keeper with a rasping 25-yard drive in the 7th minute and two minutes later George Rankin hit a post from the edge of the box. Connor Bolton shot wide from a good position in the 26th minute and Conor Casey had a shot saved on the half-hour mark. Another good chance was created for Connor Bolton three minutes later by Blue Gallagher but his mis-hit shot was easily saved. In the 37th minute Conor Casey volleyed over the bar from close range at the back post from a left-wing cross and with half-time approaching George Rankin had another decent effort saved.

The deserved breakthrough came in first-half added-time when Conor Casey received the ball on the right-hand side of the area, cut inside a defender and placed his shot beyond the keeper.

The second half found the visitors raising their game and the game became a much closer-fought contest although they still weren’t presenting a very serios threat. The Lilywhites still looked the more likely to score, though, and continued to waste chances. Harrison Cage fired over the bar when well-placed in the 57th minute and Bailey Eden did likewise in the 71st. Then, with 13 minutes remaining Dion Laughton had a glorious chance when he was put through on goal but his lob over the advancing keeper went agonisingly wide of the target.

The Lilywhites were totally in command and in the 80th and 82nd minutes both Harrison cage and Bailey Eden had shots saved when they might have done better.

The writing was on the wall, though, when wasted opportunities and a slender lead very often result in an equaliser. And it happened six minutes before the final whistle the visitors found the back of the net when they capitalised on a loose ball in the Lilywhites’ six-yard box. Albeit against a decent team, the Lilywhites were forced to accept a point when it should have been three. The point did, however, lift them out of the bottom three with plenty of games in hand on the teams above them.

Man-of-the Match: Hadley Richards

Team: Liam Nugent, Syd Barker, Hadley Richards, Jimmy Agnew, Jack Gibbs, Sam Cross, Conor Casey (Harrison Cage 54’), Blue Gallagher, (Dion Laughton, George Rankin (Bailey Eden 63’) & Conor Bolton (George Smith 84’).

Unused subs: Dan Acquaye, Callum Bennison & Jack Riddle.