Tividale 1, Rainworth Miners' Welfare 1

TIVIDALE endured a frustrating afternoon in front of goal as they had to settle for a point against strugglers Rainworth at The Beeches today.

The dogged visitors battled hard to stay in the contest but Ian Long's men will feel they missed a prime opportunity to get back to winning ways after last weekend's disappointing away defeat to Goole.

It was the home side that started the brighter as they pegged Rainworth back with a host of early corners.

Their first real chance came on 12 minutes when the lively Chris Field fired into the side netting after Leigh Downing had robbed the defender in the box before crossing to the wide man.

Field then spurned another chance five minutes later when he blasted over from inside the area after good build up on the break between David Bellis and Zac Foster.

At that stage it was all Tivi as home keeper Charlie Price watched on without a save to make.

On 25 minutes, Downing fired wide from 25 yards after latching onto a loose ball in a central position as Tivi once more failed to make their dominance pay.

Bellis came close to breaking the deadlock five minutes from half time, but his attempted lob from distance after Rainworth keeper David Reay had presented him with the ball sailed onto the roof of the net.

If it was Tivi that bossed things at the start of the first half, it was Rainworth that took control in the opening stages of the second.

They grew as the game went on before punishing Tividale for their lack of killer instinct in the 52nd minute.

The goal came all too easily as keeper Reay lumped a long ball up the pitch that was flicked on by Darren Mansarem to strike partner Romaine Graham. He had the easiest of tasks to lift the ball over the advancing Price to give the visitors a lead with their first real opportunity of the match.

Rainworth carved out a few more half chances before Tivi finally began to get back on top.

Jordan Archer missed a difficult chance at the near post on 63 minutes after he had fed Foster on the left before going for the low return ball into the six yard box.

Captain Richard Huckfield did bundle the ball home from close range five minutes later after a danger free kick was whipped in from Foster, but the referee had already blown for a foul on Reay as he came to collect the ball.

Manager Long threw on wingers Shaquille Leachman-Wittingham and Jamie King as he chased an equaliser and both made a telling impact.

The home side finally got the leveller they deserved on 84 minutes.

Good play on the right by Leachman-Wittingham saw his cross only half cleared as far as Bellis on the edge of the box. He hit a wayward effort that was then cleverly deflected on target by the head of Sam Williams to wrong foot a stranded Reay.

Rainworth responded to the equaliser by creating a rare chance as time ran out. Leon Osbourne could only drill the ball wide from inside the box following a rare foray forwards. It meant honours ended even to Tividale's frustration.

Ultimately, Tivi were left to rue a slightly below par performance coupled with today's inability to turn dominance into goals.

They had to settle for a point from a game that could have been so much different if only they could have taken one of their early chances.

Tividale: Price, Parsons, Paskin, Bellis, Smith (King 69), Huckfield (c), Field (Leachman-Wittingham 57), Williams, Archer, Downing (Edwards 57), Foster.

Unused subs: Evans, Martin.

Rainworth: Reay, Raven, Hodgett-Young, Freeman, White (c), Bettney, Kelleher, Ofushine, Graham, Mansarem (Ryan 85), Osbourne.

Unused subs: Bange, Brock, Robinson.