Radcliffe Boro 1 - Stocksbridge Park Steels 1

TOP gun Paul Mullin rescued a point for Boro with a classic strike nine minutes from the end.

It's five years since Boro won their first home game of the season. They could have snatched this one in the last few minutes, but it would have been grossly unfair on the South Yorkshire outfit.

Former Bury striker Liam Robinson and ex-Celtic, Stoke and Norwich hitman, Wayne Biggins, ran the show for the Steelers, but from slightly deeper midfield positions, a move brought on by the advancing years, no doubt.

Nevertheless, they were both extremely influential as Stocksbridge took the game to Boro in the first 45.

They got their reward with a slightly fortuitous penalty, awarded when the ball zipped up off the turf and smacked on to new signing Simon Turpin's outstretched fists.

Biggins despatched the spot kick past Boro's debutant goalkeeper, Danny Hurst, being watched by scouts from Nationwide Division Two side Oldham Athletic, with practised precision.

It was no more than Stocksbridge deserved and if the truth be known, they could have had a couple more to show for their efforts before the half-time whistle blew, four minutes after that Biggins' opener.

All Boro had to show for the first half endeavours was a booking for skipper Mark Dempsey after he arrived a little late to meet Dean Fearon and introduced the Stocksbridge player to the Stainton Park turf, clutching his leg in agony in the process.

Mullin put in a neat 34th minute first time shot, but it was straight at Park keeper Ross Turner.

Just as the first half was Stocksbridge's, the second belonged to Radcliffe.

They didn't start it in glowing terms. Eamonn Kelly, one of the trio recruited from Burnley FC, was booked for another foul and midfield ace Simon Carden also saw yellow after a 60th minute flare-up near the dug outs.

Old favourite Ian Lunt replaced Neil Hardy, another of manager Kevin Glendon's summer signings, up front in the 65th minute, and, nine minutes later, Turner dived to turn away Carden's header one-handed.

Levi Edwards came on for Eamonn Kelly with 13 minutes to go and, four minutes later, Mullin struck, taking a pass from Dempsey in his stride and drawing Turner off his line before smashing a powerful shot past the Stocksbridge custodian and into the back of the gaping net.

The result augurs well for the rest of the season. It's the first time Boro have taken a point from Stocksbridge in three meetings in the first home game in the last four years, so they'll be happy enough with the point and will be out to build on it over the next few weeks.