Newton Aycliffe extended their unbeaten home record with a hard-fought draw with in-form Consett at Moore Lane Park.
The visitors – who have not played a home match yet this season – had scored 17 goals as they won three and drew one of their last four league games, but could only score once against a miserly Aycliffe defence.
And the stalemate extended Allan Oliver’s unbeaten run at their home ground in Division One this season to six matches.
Consett started the better of the two side’s and took just 10 minutes to open the scoring. A long ball caught out Stephen Salvin and Luke Sullivan tucked the ball past Gareth Young in the Aycliffe goal.
Nathan Jameson should have made it two soon after but could not find the target when in acres of space on the edge of the area.
Jamie Owens got the hosts back on level terms just after the half-hour mark. Having seen a curling effort drift just wide minutes earlier, the former Shildon man was on hand to force the ball home after Danny Lambert’s shot had been parried by visiting goalkeeper.
It was the Royal Blues who appeared the likelier to go on and win the game in the second half as they created the better chances.
Lambert’s cutback from the byline was cut out before Owens could tap in, before the striker steered a header narrowly wide from Stephen Gibson’s cross.
Martin Young was then played in down the left but a covering challenge denied him just before he was about to let fly and James Oliver – who has only ever scored one goal for the club – was inches away from ending his long drought with a stunning overhead kick.
But the scoresheet was not further troubled and an entertaining game ended all square.
