THIS was not the version of Witton that brushed aside Buxton in the previous round.

Not that manager Carl Macauley should be any less satisfied.

He saw instead a robust, resilient Albion that did not buckle against opponents that play two levels higher.

They trailed to a stunning strike from Aaron Chalmers, but remained composed enough to earn a replay when Brad Bauress’ shot squirmed past goalkeeper Tony McMillan via a defender’s decisive deflection.

There was only four minutes left.

It means the Northwich outfit extend an unbeaten run to eight matches in all competitions this season, while keeping alive hopes they might play a third qualifying round tie for the first time since 2011.

They started slowly, the visitors’ three-man defence able to smother an isolated Rob Hopley in Albion’s attack.

With strike partner Tolani Omotola ruled out by injury, Macauley tasked midfielders Bauress, Tom Owens and Prince Haywood with being first to support him.

They rarely could, forced into defensive duty by Bridge.

Stalybridge, seeking to set aside league form that has seen them lose nine of their 11 matches in National League North this term, posed more of an attacking threat.

Daniel Wisdom’s shot lacked the force to worry Albion net-minder Danny Roberts after he cut inside from the right, while Anthony Brown timed his block perfectly to stop Steve Tames.

The attacker spurned the best chance of the opening period, steering wide of an upright after ghosting onto a pass that left him face-to-face with Roberts.

Albion, invited by Macauley to be more aggressive without the ball and to press the visitors higher up the field, improved after the interval.

Bauress scooped high after Matty Devine clipped a corner to him in a shooting space, while at the other end Roberts was alert when diving low to his left to stop Andy Owens’ angled attempt.

Stalybridge took the lead on 61 minutes, when Chalmers met a dipping ball on the edge of the area with a perfectly-timed volley that seared into the net.

Had it been a goal to separate the sides, nobody inside Wincham Park would have made a complaint.

Albion, after falling behind for a third time in their past four matches, were reassuringly positive in their response.

Hopley resisted the attempts of two defenders to rob him of possession, only for the ball to bump a bobble as he shaped to shoot and he skewed his shot over.

Bauress skidded a header wide from Antony Gardner’s cross, only to be more accurate when a Bridge back-marker – this time halting Hopley’s progress – nudged the ball his way short afterwards.

A deflection helped take it out of McMillan’s reach.

Substitute Daniel Adigun had more time than he realised when firing over in stoppage time, while Stalybridge replacement Aidan Chippendale prompted Roberts to make a final intervention at the other end.

They’ll try again on Tuesday.

Witton | 4-2-3-1 | Roberts (GK), Gardner, Brown, Wilson, Devine,  Williams (Adigun 82), Reeves, Haywood, Tom Owens, Bauress, Hopley Subs not used Garner (GK), Eves, Arnold, Hickman, Benjamin Goal Bauress 86 Booked Haywood, Brown (both fouls)

Stalybridge | 3-5-2 | McMillan (GK), Gorton, Hughes, Ryan, Wisdom (Chippendale 46), Gordon (Hynes 76), Gee, Chalmers, Kelly (Foy 58), Andy Owens, Tames Subs not used Platt, Mukendi, Bagshaw, Pilkington Goal Chalmers 61

Referee Joe Hull

Attendance 316