Radcliffe Borough 1-1 Lancaster City

Radcliffe Borough's Sam McMahon being brought down by Rob Henry for the penalty.

Danny Carlton scored his first league goal for City to give Phil Brown’s side an early lead in the game that was played in freezing conditions on a soft and almost boggy sloping pitch.

Playing decent football was difficult in the conditions, but Lancaster looked an impressive attacking unit in the  opening exchanges and took the lead 17 minutes in.

A flowing attacking move ended in Ryan Winder’s bursting run into the right side of the penalty area. The winger pulled the ball across the box to the penalty spot for Carlton to lift the ball over ‘keeper Chris Cheetham into the back of the net.

Carlton had two further chances to increase the lead as the Dollies continued to attack in numbers, first being denied by a fine save by Cheetham low to his left before seeing a first time shot narrowly sail over the bar.

Despite their domination of the opening 45 minutes, Lancaster went into the half time break with just one goal to their name.

On an increasingly degrading pitch the game in the second half was mostly a midfield scrap with all the chances still being created by the visitors.

Ryan Winder had the best of the Dollies’ scoring opportunities in the second half.

After a great marauding run from Jacob Gregory the resultant cross bobbled just before Winder hit his shot, sending the ball over the bar from just inside the box.

The midfielder then produced a fine solo run down the hill into the opposition penalty area, but his final shot was straight at Cheetham for an easy save.

With impressive midfield man Tom Watson being substituted following an unpunished studs-up challenge Lancaster began to lose their grip on midfield and the game slowly began to tilt in favour of the hosts. Almost predictably, City were made to pay for their missed chances when Rob Henry crudely hauled his man down in the box for a stonewall penalty.

Boro forward Sam McMahon stepped up to coolly send Mike Hale the wrong way to seal a share of the spoils with what was only their second shot on target in the  game.

City: Hale, Henry, Marshall, Mercer, Clark, Akrigg, Watson, Winder, Cummings, Russell, Carlton.