AVRO 3 BURSCOUGH 3

An afternoon which started so promisingly for Avro ultimately ended in disappointment as a late Burscough equaliser denied boss Alex Frost a win in his first home league game in charge on a windswept afternoon at the Vestacare Stadium.

Frost made one enforced change from the side which had triumphed seven days previously at Lower Breck, with Lewis Lacy returning in central defence and Kyle Jacobs moving into midfield to replace the injured Matty Wolfenden.

The home side took the lead after just 90 seconds, when Louis Potts ran on to a through ball and smashed home his 14th goal of the season from the edge of the area.

However, Burscough quickly drew level when a free kick from the right was not properly cleared, and Ryan Smith’s low strike found the corner of the net.

Lacy nearly marked his return with a goal when he got on the end of a Kyle Harrop free kick from the left on 19 minutes, but his effort went just wide of the post.

The visitors went in front on the half hour mark, when Avro again failed to clear a free kick, and Nathan Martland swept home the loose ball. However, the sides were level again just a minute later, Jacobs advancing unchallenged before rifling home a 25 yarder to make it 2-2.

There was more good news just before the interval for the home fans, when Harrop’s corner from the left was bundled home at the near post by Kane Wallwork.

With the wind at their backs after the restart, Burscough applied plenty of pressure but did not manage to convert their territorial edge into clear cut opportunities.

However, just as it seemed that the storm had been successfully weathered, another scramble in the Avro six yard area ended with Tom McNamara poking home an 85th minute leveller, and when Joe Rathbone’s looping header crept agonisingly over the bar with Burscough keeper Reynolds rooted to his line, the points were duly shared.

The draw means Avro remain in fifth place in NWCL Premier Division but they could go level on points with fourth-placed Charnock Richard should they win at Prestwich Heys this evening.