Ollerton Town were left considering whether their second successive 1-1 draw was a point gained, or two points dropped, after extending their unbeaten run in the league to four games despite only having ten men for much of Saturday’s game against local rivals Shirebrook Town.

The Town went into the fixture looking for three points to help continue their climb up the NCEL Division One table and were growing more and more into the game when Ollie Grady was shown a straight red card midway through the first half. Despite the disadvantage, Ollerton were still well in the game but found themselves behind at the break when Kenan McKenzie Gray headed home shortly before the interval.

Steve Bodle’s men started the second half strongly, and it was difficult to tell which side only had ten men, and they finally got what they deserved with fifteen minutes to go when Gav King poked home the equaliser. Both sides had chances towards the end to potentially steal the three points but in the end, they were forced to settle for a point each.

Ollerton started strongly and in the second minute, Jacques Etia crossed for Sam Geeves who saw his shot blocked, before Ben Partridge picked up the rebound and was also denied by the body of a Shirebrook defender.

Shirebrook’s first opportunity arrived in the eighth minute but Fabian Johnson’s strike from distance was well wide of Levi Owen’s goal.

Ollerton were continuing to build pressure and Partridge, Gav King and Ollie Grady all sent probing balls into the area which asked questions of Shirebrook ‘keeper Lewis Hill and his back line.

In the 20th minute, Partridge found space in the right channel and set the ball back for Geeves who cut inside onto his left foot and sent a shot off target.

A minute later, Ollerton were reduced to ten men. Grady got into a tangle with Ashley Radmore and raised his hands to the Shirebrook full back who hit the deck straight away. In the scuffle that followed, Johnson appeared to strike the Ollerton midfielder on the back of the head but, much to the confusion of those of an Ollerton persuasion, the referee only produced one red card.

On the half hour mark, Shirebrook had a fantastic chance to take the lead, breaking well from an Ollerton corner, but Nathan Jessop spurned the opportunity from inside the area, drilling wide of the upright.

If that was Shirebrook’s best chance of the game, Ollerton’s best opening came three minutes later when Joe Lumley slipped the ball through for King, putting him one-on-one with Hill, but the striker’s effort was saved well by the home ‘keeper.

King had another chance ten minutes later, twisting and turning inside the area to create space before smashing the ball at goal, only to see Hill tip the ball over the bar.

With seconds to go before the break, Shirebrook took the lead. Though Ollerton appealed for a goal kick, the linesman awarded a corner which, after being partially cleared, was sent back into the area where Kenan McKenzie Gray was in too much space to head past Levi Owen.

Ollerton were not dispirited by their situation, and they put their hosts onto the back foot early in the second half. Geeves’ delivery from dead balls was causing plenty of issues with both George Slack and King heading over.

In the 73rd minute, Ollerton were awarded a dangerous looking free kick on the edge of the area and when Conor Green’s effort deflected off the wall, it looked like falling at the feet of Lumley, but a Shirebrook defender just got their first to clear the ball away.

Two minutes later, Ollerton were level. Partridge jinks into the area and played the ball to the feet of King who took one touch before stabbing the ball past Hill for his 14th goal of the campaign.

Shirebrook now had to go back on the front foot to try and win the game and in the 82nd minute, Josh Parfitt was slipped in down the right of the Ollerton area, but Owen was off his line quickly to smother the chance and force the ball wide for a corner.

With five minutes to go, Hill got nowhere near Geeves’ inswinging corner, and it looked like dropping onto the head of Slack for Ollerton’s second but a touch off a Shirebrook defender sent the ball away from danger.

Ollerton had one last chance to win it as Partridge raced onto Slack’s long ball, prodding it past the onrushing Hill, but Ryan Oridge got back to prevent the pacey Ollerton forward from tapping into an empty net.