NELSON had victory snatched from them five minutes into injury time at the end of this NWCL Second Division clash at Victoria Park.

Visitors Flixton were jubilant when Lee Bowles drove in the equaliser with the last kick of the game, but the Blues knew that they should have had it sewn up long before that stage.

The enigmatic Craig Bradshaw created a series of goal scoring chances without finding the target.

And it was Paul Barrett who benefited from Kevin Richardson's through ball on the half-hour when he beat the visiting keeper with a cool finish to give Nelson the lead.

Bradshaw should have doubled their lead just two minutes later, but pulled his shot across the face of goal from a glorious opportunity.

The Blues were under pressure for most of the second half, but again squandered several good chances which they created on the break.

Flixton's wayward finishing looked to have condemned them to defeat until Bowles found the target with his daisycutter into the bottom corner of the Nelson net.

NELSON ...1

FLIXTON ...1