West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division: Steeton 1 Britannia Sports 1

DESPITE having the majority of the play, Steeton were held to a draw by some stout defending, extraordinary goalkeeping, bad luck and poor finishing.

With Wayne Mahomet unavailable, the hosts gave a first-team debut to goalkeeper Joe Mash, who was called into action early when he pushed aside a fierce goalbound drive.

The visitors came close to opening the scoring in the eighth minute when they hit the bar with a half-volley.

For the next 15 minutes it was all Steeton as Andy Holden saw a fine effort superbly palmed over the bar, Graham Holmes was unlucky to strike an upright after superb work by Ben Clarkson, and then even more unfortunate to see the keeper fumble another effort which struck the other post before being scrambled away.

Clarkson was again involved when he cut the ball back to Holmes, who in turn fed Holden who struck a superb curling shot but was again thwarted, this time by the upright which was taking quite a battering. Totally against the run of play, the visitors took the lead in the 24th minute when an effort by Nick Kitson from 20 yards out took a slight deflection and looped over the unfortunate Mash.

Steeton continued to dominate. The play down the flanks, featuring Elliot Scott and Joe Park on the left and Joe Mason and Holden on the right, provided the attack with plenty of ammunition but Britannia's backline held firm.

Before the interval Steeton's centre backs Sam Rooke and Steve Pearson joined the attack. Rooke's superb header from a corner brought an equally superb save and Pearson's surging run from well inside his own half ended with a shot which narrowly missed.

The second half started much as the first had ended, with Clarkson the first to be thwarted by the keeper. Tim Hird and Jonah Smith went close and Holmes was again unlucky when a rasping near-post effort was pushed out for a corner.

With the search for the elusive equaliser now becoming urgent, Steeton replaced Rooke, Mason and Park with Michael Rhodes, Tom Sowerbutts and Rory Judd.

Steeton applied unrelenting pressure and won a series of throw-ins, all taken by long-throw specialist Jonah Smith.

These caused consternation in the Britannia box and led to a number of corners, one of which fell to Judd who stabbed the ball home. It never actually reached the net as defenders scrambled to hold on to the lead but the referee judged that the ball had crossed the line.

Steeton strove hard to find a winner in vain, leaving boss Roy Mason to say: "In fairness it was a game we should have had sewn up at half-time with the amount of chances we created.

"Not for the first time this season we have failed to kill teams off when we have been the dominant side.

"If we add a bit more ruthlessness to our game in the final third, we will stop dropping needless points from games where our overall play has warranted a victory."

Steeton are now fifth with 14 points from nine games but face having three points deducted as the recent 7-2 win over Honley has been declared void after Honley's resignation from the league.

Steeton: Mash, Mason (Sowerbutts), Scott, Pearson, Rooke (Rhodes), Hird, Holden, Smith, Clarkson, Holmes, Park (Judd).