EWOOD Amateurs so nearly got away with daylight robbery.

Had Kings not grabbed an equaliser late in to added time, Ewood would have stolen three points from right under the noses of their title rivals.

As it was, Kings almost snatched a win right at the death when Liam Fryer poked a shot against the foot of the post.

Gary Walsh's patched-up team managed just two shots on goal while even the men from Carling Opta Stats would have had trouble keeping account of Kings chances.

But Danny Kirby hit Kings with the sucker punch of all sucker punches when he dragged his little legs through the mud to race clear from the halfway line to finish clinically past Paul Fletcher.

The keeper's first significant contribution was to pick the ball up out of the back of the net -- and that was after 62 minutes!

But Kings should have been home and dry in the wind, mud and rain by that stage but that was largely down to Warren Peake's inability to find the goal -- but mainly down to some fantastic goalkeeping from the giant Lee Greenacre.

Time again the shot stopper came to Ewood's rescue with Peake personally foiled at least half a dozen times.

The striker headed over when well placed after five minutes then saw his low drive saved by the keeper before the lively Steve Newton thrashed a shot against the post as the ball ping-ponged around the Ewood goal mouth.

But Greenacre's heroics were not just saved for Peake has he also kept out shots from Liam Denning, Fryer and just before the break Michael Douglas.

Ewood were no threat as an attacking force while Douglas and Leigh Smith ran the midfield for Kings. What Ewood did do though was to defended doggedly -- with Pete Crump and Roy Gardiner in determined mood.

But the second half started as the first ended with Greenacre force in to an early save to turn away an angled drive from Fryer after good approach play by Rob Maddocks and Denning.

Gardiner then headed away from under his own crossbar from Fryer's cross when all of a sudden Ewood took the lead.

Kirby picked the ball up just inside his own half, ran at and beat Gareth Pugh before firing past Fletcher.

But Kings hit back straight away and Pugh had a long shot deflected wide before Greenacre saved and spilled a shot from Sean Campbell before making a great recovery to push away Peake's follow up. From the resulting corner, Douglas shaved the foot of the post when he volleyed through a crowded goal mouth.

Douglas then hooked a shot over his shoulder but the wrong side of the post after some good play by Newton down the right.

Ewood had a brief rest bite when Steve Eggleston's long clearance was picked up by Kirby who set off on another long run.

With time ticking away it appeared that Ewood might just steal all three points -- especially when Greenacre produced his best stop of the day to palm away a deflected shot off his own defender.

And Kirby then had a great chance to seal it when he raced on to a fine ball by substitute Mick Angland. But once he worked a goal scoring chance his tired shot was straight at Fletcher.

Kings eventually did get the goal their dominance deserved six minutes in to injury time -- but only Newton knows if he meant it!

The winger cut in from the right and stabbed the ball with the outside of his right boot which sailed in at the far post.

Fryer then nearly sealed a win for Kings but his shot hit the foot of the post.