Despite Walsall Wood looking the brighter from the kick off, the first opportunity to score fell to Andy Harrison of Brocton after just 10 minutes. Andy Hume had picked up a loose ball in midfield and fed it smartly into Harrison’s forward run. It sat up nicely, albeit a little too far right of the goal to present a full target, but Harrison got his shot off across the keeper, who was relieved to see it beat the far post.

The keeper did well on 18 minutes as he beat out a goal bound free kick from Hume at the angle of post and bar, but the resulting corner was disappointing and the pressure went.

Wood looked bright when they broke out, with good width on either side of the pitch and a dart to the bye line on the left before a weak cross promised better to come. In fact the deadlock was broken after a good spell of pressure from the visitors seemed to have been weathered. Brocton’s midfield and defence had been called upon to defend deep and had forced the ball away to their opponent’s left near the half way line as a speculative cross was aimed at the near post. Matt Skinner arrived first to head away, but the pressure on him deflected his header toward goal, beating Mike Shelper with what turned out to be a beauty at the near post.

Steve Allen almost brought the home side level direct from a corner as the wind swung the high ball into the goal, but the keeper was alert and tipped it over at the last moment. Allen repeated the dose, but this time it drifted harmlessly over.

The second half was hardly started before Andy Hume was up ended right in front of goal, but his free kick sailed over the bar. Then Walsall Wood almost made good use of an early throw. With the whole of the goal to aim at, the final shot was placed wide of both keeper and post.

Lee Scott, on in the second period, was found well by Steve Allen and the visitor did well to force the ball out for a corner when Scott found a dangerous position on the right of the box.

Then Matt Skinner arrived from left back at the far post to meet the deep corner on the half volley, but hit it wide.

The visitors seemed to gain confidence from Brocton’s profligacy and manufactured a series of good openings down the left flank, but each time the cross either drifted too near to Mike Shelper in Brocton’s goal or behind the forwards hoping to meet it.

Brocton’s equaliser followed their best passing move of the match. The ball was worked right from the back, every pass went to feet and Gary Fife, another substitute, found room on the right of the box, received the final pass and hit his shot early. Wide of the goal.

Immediately following that effort, Andy Chandler collected the ball at the heart of the Brocton defence once again and worked the ball to his left to matt Skinner. Skinner found James Dyke and Dyke slipped the ball inside the left full back for Lee Scott to run in and score.

Walsall Wood then brought the save of the match out of Mike Shelper. With Brocton simply out paced only Shelper stood between them and the goal. He was sent the wrong way initially, but still managed to squirm round and push the ball round the post.

Almost immediately Brocton went up the other end of the field and a deep cross found Richard Miller on the edge of the box. He chested the ball down and placed it carefully to the keeper’s right, only to see his effort rebound from the inside of the post all across the goal to find a grateful keeper and the game finished with honours even.

Brocton 1 v 1 Walsall Wood