Barnoldswick Town 0 Abbey Hey 0

THE game was almost as bleak as the bitterly cold weather as the two sides played out a tame Premier Division draw on Tuesday night.

Sweeping snow storms hit the ground in mid-afternoon but thankfully the wind dropped just before the game started.

Town were missing strikers Mark Threlfall and Matthew Simpson for a match which produced little to warm the hardy spectators.

The first half was poor with hardly any attempts on goal. Andrew Smith had the first shot after five minutes which Town keeper Jordan Gidley saved easily.

Town’s first attempt came after 25 minutes when James Crorken saw his left-foot shot drift wide.

On the half hour mark Ashford Blake curled a shot just wide of Gidley’s left-hand post.

A minute later a quick inter-change between Sam Freakes and Nico Collins saw the latter play the ball back to Freakes, whose low cross was diverted for a corner off Gidley's legs.

Town’s best chance of the half came after 36 minutes. Abbey Hey keeper Jonathan MciLwaine took a free kick out wide near the touchline.

He sliced the ball badly into the path of John Beckwith who was hovering on the halfway line. The striker quickly gathered the ball and ran forward a few paces, before firing in a left-foot shot which drifted just wide with McIlwaine still out of his area.

Just before half-time, Beckwith headed on into the path of Ben Gorman who sliced a shot from the edge of the penalty area high and wide.

Town made a substitution at half-time with Kieron Britton replacing Harry Thompson (46). Midway through the half they had Dalton Hutchison replacing Michael Woodvine.

The first meaningful goal action of the second half was Arley Barnes' 68th minute shot which forced a save from McIlwaine.

The keeper also rescued his side with a double save to deny Ben Gorman and Beckwith.

The nearest the visitors came to scoring was when Sam Hind cracked a ferocious shot from the corner of the penalty area that thundered off the top of Gidley’s left-hand post.

The ball rebounded back across goal to Nico Collins whose shot was tipped over the bar by Gidley.