ALFRETON TOWN 0, RADCLIFFE BORO 0: BORO came away from Derbyshire, and third-placed Alfreton, with a deserved, if unexpected, point.
Failure to gain all three, however, despite always being highly unlikely, means they will have to win the play-offs if they are to play Conference North football next season.
But boss Kevin Glendon can take a number of positives from the game, among them a clean sheet and the form of diminutive striker, Mark Redshaw.
Given a rare start, he showed just what he is capable of without actually hitting the back of the net, giving the home defence a torrid time, along with Simon Carden.
Indeed, Boro could have stolen all three points when, in the 87th minute, Steve Foster was clearly brought down a yard inside the home penalty box by Matt Fisher.
But referee Mike Naylor instead awarded Boro a free kick outside the box, and Boro's chances of an upset were lost.
Glendon decided to give starts to Gary Sampson and Redshaw, with Karl Marginson and Tony Carroll beginning the game on the bench.
Boro began well, and Steve Foster could have opened the scoring inside 10 minutes, but he shot straight at the Town 'keeper Lee Butler.
On 12 minutes Alfreton had strong penalty appeals turned down when Steve Spencer appeared to handle in the box, but referee Naylor appeared to have judged it ball to hand.
Two minutes later Steve Woolley unleashed a 20-yard volley which Danny Hurst was well placed to save
At the other end Redshaw was twice denied by Butler, as he and Carden carved out a number of chances before the interval.
Then good work between Mark Sale and Fisher enabled Sale to beat Hurst, but Tony Whealing popped up from nowhere to clear off the line.
The home side emerged more determined for the second half, but came up against a committed Boro defence, still lacking skipper Davey Luker.
Town had the majority of the play and almost grabbed the lead on 81 minutes, but Woolley's chip over Hurst came back off the bar.
Four minutes before, Butler was forced into a diving save, when a half-clearance let in Steve Foster.
Boro had chances of their own apart form the penalty claim, with a series free kicks from scorable range, but lacking a Beckham they were squandered.
The draw put an end to Boro's mathematical hopes of making the top 13 and automatic promotion to the Conference North.
However, with injured players still to return, the side is showing genuine signs of improvement and who knows, the play-offs may yet turn out to arrive at just the right time.
RADCLIFFE: Hurst, Battersby, Whealing, Kelly, Duffy, Spencer, Sampson, Carden, Renshaw, S. Foster, Price. Subs: Carroll, Marginson, J. Foster.
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