NELSON were held to a draw at Victoria Park by second-placed Formby in North West Counties Division Two.

In the opening stages the visitors lost midfielder Howard Ruberry with a nasty facial injury, but then took the lead with a Mark Wilson goal, in off a post after just three minutes.

The Blues struggled to make any impression on a well-organised Formby defence in the first half and had to withstand a lively visitors attack in which Neil Smith was prominent and struck the Nelson post with a curling shot after 21 minutes.

Four minutes before the interval Kiko Rodriguez fired in the equaliser just inside the post from Mick Molyneux's cross.

The second half was a different story with Nelson dominating the game and looking sure to add further goals, but a series of missed chances and good saves by Formby's keeper Lyndon King denied them.

In the end the Blues' frustration boiled over and after Andy Bannister was lucky to escape with a yellow card for a rash challenge, Mick Molyneux was sent off for his second bookable offence of the night in the last minute of the game.

RESULT: NELSON 1 FORMBY 1