Blyth make a point at Brackley

In what was a tough away fixture, neither side managed to find a breakthrough in the first half and it remained 0-0 at the break.

The deadlock was eventually broken in the second half when a backpass from Nicky Deverdics was short and goalkeeper Alex Mitchell saw his attempted clearance deflect off the boot of Armson and into the net.

Blyth pressed for an equaliser and it eventually arrived in the last minute of normal time when Deverdics floated a ball into the box where it was met by Lees. His initial effort was parried only for the ball to fall at his feet again and at the second time of asking he looped the ball over home goalkeeper Lewis for a share of the spoils.

The draw means Blyth now sit 22nd of 24 in the table on 18 points, but only four points separate the five teams sitting immediately above them.

After the game manager Graham Fenton said: “It was a really good performance. We looked dangerous at times and I thought we might have scored another couple mof goals.

"We conceded a soft goal, but I was delighted with the way the lads clawed their way back into the game. They thoroughly deserved the late equaliser, which on another day might have been a winner.

"That’s one defeat in six games now so we are improving, but we are work in progress and if we can get rid of the little mistakes we will make life easier for ourselves.

"Brackley are top of the league, and they are there for a reason, but I thought we gave them a very good game.”

Goalscorer Lees said: “I thought we played well, especially in the second half and the least we deserved was a point.

"Maybe I should have scored earlier, and even with the initial header for the goal, but a little bit of improvisation got me there in the end.”