IT is fair to say that neither Worsthorne or Stackstreads St Josephs have yet to get their seasons going - so a point was not really what either side were looking for.

But, in the end, both sides will look back at missed opportunities to get their campaigns up-and-running.

Stacksteads for throwing away a two-point lead and Worsthorne who, after claw-ing their way back in to the game, had chances to win it at the death.

It was a game played at a fair old rate but without either side creating clear cut chances.

In the end, it was a goalkeeping error that gift-ed Stacksteads the opening goal when Tom Boyle spil-led a routine through ball and Tim Farragher pounced to fire home.

Worsthorne, who in fair-ness had the better of the play up to that stage, resp-onded with Gary Hodg-kinson drilling in a low cross after latching on to a ball by Pete Wood which Alex Binnie did well to hook clear.

Nathan Edwards fired straight at the keeper before Lee Uttley cleared the bar with another effort.

But Stacksteads should have doubled their lead when James Hamer’s low cross picked out Farragher who fired over the bar. However, Stacksteads were 2-0 up when Hamer drilled home an unstoppable free kick in to the top corner from a good 25 yards out.

It all got a bit fraught in the Worsthorne ranks but crucially they got a foothold in the game just before the break - Pete Wood lifting the ball over Craig Taylor in the Stacksteads goal after good work by Matthew Sutcliffe.

The game was a lot more open in the second half with Worsthorne immedia-tely on the attack.

Joshua Boyle headed over a cross from Wood then Dan O’Neil cleared a close range effor from James Clark off the line.

Stacksteads, who saw Paul Waine and Carl Thompson try their luck from range, had a great chance to extend their lead with a rapid counter attack. Taylor plucked a cross out of the air and bowled a quick ball out to Farragher who raced cleared, found Bryan Herbert whose shot was tipped around the post by Boyle.

Worsthorne were level in their next break and it was all down to the determin-ation of Hodgkinson. The striker still had plenty to do when he picked the ball up on the halfway line but he powered beyond the last defender and beat Taylor with a crisp drive in off his near post.

Both sides had chances to net a winner, Farragher flashing a shot across the Stacksteads goal after racing on to a great pass from Wood before Scott Grey hit the post at the other end and then saw his follow up blocked.

And right at the death, Edwards close range effort from Boyle’s throw lacked power and Taylor gladly smothered the ball.

The draw was the fair result but not the one either side were looking for.