HOPES were high after the midweek win over Lancaster City that Bamber Bridge could climb further out of trouble.

But Brig's drive to safety was stalled by a dogged performance from bottom-placed Buxton, the Derbyshire side scrapping every inch of the way for a 2-2 draw.

The scramble for survival obscured any footballing skills for much of the opening period. And Brig found it tough to break free from the midfield impasse; they were always rebuffed by the effective, if less-than-subtle, Buxton defence.

Buxton nearly broke the deadlock on 25 minutes when Green's shot beat Brig goalkeeper Stuart Barton, only to cannon off the underside of the bar and bounce clear. March dipped-in to head home the rebound but an offside flag kept the scores at zero.

The match sparked to life three minutes after the interval when Martin headed in a well-won Buxton corner. Bamber Bridge looked more purposeful chasing the game, and on 62 minutes a teasing far post free-kick brought them back on terms, Milligan diverting the ball across goal and Lancaster stabbing in the equaliser.

Two minutes later Duerden back-heeled Brig into the lead, connecting just enough with Maddock's goal-bound header to claim it for himself.

With Buxton fighting hard, play switched from end to end in a flurry of attacks and counter-attacks.

And, while Buxton deserved something from the game, the Hall penalty that levelled the scores could have been avoided had Barton not felled Lee in a clumsy dive for the ball with 17 minutes left.

A tense final quarter of an hour saw both teams come close to a winner.

But, at the final whistle, a point apiece was fair reward, and proved just how close the race is at the bottom of the table.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.