After falling behind on the 16-minute mark, the Boro managed to claw back a draw whilst weathering the storm in large parts of the match, despite Josh Hancock being brandished with a red card moments before the break.

Radcliffe’s management duo made two changes to our midweek eleven which saw Brad Jackson and Jordan Hulme regain their starting places, the latter returning to the team following a two-game suspension.

There were good opportunities for both sides early on as Seb Thompson struck the top of the crossbar with a wicked effort inside six minutes, before George Glendon’s pass across the face of goal was almost turned into his own net by Jesse Bavanganga at the other end not long after.

After a small spell of attacking momentum, Rushall managed to make it count by getting themselves in front through one of their debutants. Via Danny King’s delivery into the back post, Thompson rose above Brad Jackson to guide a header beyond Mateusz Hewelt and into the back of the net.

They weren’t ahead for long however, as the returning Jordan Hulme entered double figures for the season to restore parity. With possession at the feet of Anthony Dudley, he bypassed his nearest opponent before finding a pocket of space to lay it off for the striker who thumped home with force from close range.

The Boro then smelt blood after drawing level and could’ve got their noses in front had Jackson’s shot been inches lower, but the wide man’s attempt clipped the top of the crossbar before looping over after being played into space by Glendon across the right-hand side.

One minute before the end of the initial 45, Josh Hancock’s dismissal immediately put Radcliffe on an uphill battle as the referee judged the 34-year-old to have used a dangerous action towards opposing goalkeeper Paul White, sending him to the changing rooms prematurely.

Despite having a man advantage, Rushall struggled in their attempts to punish Bernard and Jonno’s men after the break allowing Radcliffe to gain opportunities of their own in the third quarter of the game. White was on hand to collect a couple of lofted passes aiming for the hold up play of Hulme inside the final third, before Tom Walker’s free kick was fired straight into the wall from a promising position.

Sandwiched between two substitutions which saw Tunde Owolabi and Regan Riley enter the fray, Scott Duxbury made a crucial block to deny Kobe Hall after the newly-introduced Rushall forward looked to have half a yard to find the target inside the box, but his shot was blocked on its travels when he seemed destined to convert.

End-to-end action ensued in the final moments of the match, setting up a nail-biting finish for both outfits with chances to win the game late on.

Hewelt was on hand to make a number of saves across a sustained period of Rushall pressure, and at the opposite end of the field, Walker’s drilled effort from outside the box left White rooted to the spot, whistling just beyond the right post which brought an end to the notable opportunities.

Four additional minutes weren’t enough for either team to claim all three points in the dying embers, confirming a share of the spoils when the referee’s full-time whistle sounded.

Radcliffe return to the Neuven Stadium this Tuesday as we welcome South Shields to Greater Manchester, aiming to get back to winning ways in front of our home faithful.

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