ACCRINGTON STANLEY threw away the chance to take all three points from the UniBond Premier League clash against Frickley at the Crown Ground.
Simon Carden put the Reds ahead after just two minutes and Paul Mullin had the ball in the back of the net on 25 minutes but the effort was disallowed because Lutel James was adjudged to have taken the ball out of play for a goal kick before his cross.
Frickley had few chances in the first half and scored with virtually their first effort in the second, on 70 minutes, through substitute Peter Myers.
Reds manager John Coleman said he was disappointed with the result even though the Reds, who have reached the final of the Marsden Lancashire Trophy and the semi-finals of the UniBond League Cup, have little left to play for in the league this season.
"We started off great," said Coleman after yesterday's game. "But we never built on that.
"We huffed and puffed but we didn't get at them enough and then we let them back into it.
"They had a couple of chances first half but their goal came from really their only chance in the second half."
Simon Carden had put Stanley into the lead after a free kick, headed on by striker Paul Mullin, was controlled and finished well by the midfielder.
"It was a good goal," said Coleman. "It was a good finish from him." And the Reds boss thought he had seen his side go two-nil up when Mullin headed home.
"The linesman put his flag up but he was 70 yards away and Lutel didn't think that he had taken it out so we were disappointed because at 2-0 we would have thought we had the game won."
But Stanley couldn't find the net again and with just 20 minutes remaining Frickley equalised.
Frickley's Leroy Chambers got past Reds defender Jonathon Smith down the left and passed to Myers who slotted past Jamie Speare.
Coleman was unhappy with the result and said the performance from his side wasn't good but he singled midfielder Robbie Williams out for praise.
"He was outstanding for us. He was strong in the tackle and got through a hell of a lot of work."
Mark Brennan, who left Stanley two weeks ago to take the assistant manager's post at St Helens only to return after losing his new job when the St Helens manager resigned, came on for Steven Flitcroft in the second half.
Coleman said of his return: "It was just one of those things. I didn't want him to go in the first place but it was an opportunity that was too good to turn down for him. Unfortunately for him it didn't work out."
Coleman is now looking to next season when he hopes his side can launch an all-out assault on the UniBond Premier League title and promotion to the Nationwide Conference.
"I am looking toward next season now both at players and at the way we play.
"Maybe we need to change our style a little bit."
ACCRINGTON STANLEY...1 FRICKLEY ATHLETIC...1
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