WITTON have been here before.

For this season’s visit to Stocksbridge, read the report from the previous one. Well, almost.

Albion trailed by two goals at the interval against opponents in worse form than them, yet the visitors couldn’t help but feel rueful despite recovering sufficiently to pinch a point.

It was not quite the game of two halves, for Brian Pritchard’s men ought also to have scored before the break even when second best.

Steels, weakened by the absence of top scorer Nathan Joynes and the enforced early exit of injured captain Alex Callery, threatened most from set pieces.

Inexplicable then that Witton should present their hosts with countless chances to deliver them.

They were punished for doing so.

Stocksbridge, without a win against anybody since the campaign’s opening round, could be forgiven for thinking that fortune had changed when they took the lead.

Albion, justifiably, were unhappy at how.

A linesman failed to spot the ball cross the touchline, though when Liam Royles played the ball sideways to Matthew Hamshaw defenders inexplicably stopped. Every one of them.

His lofted pass reached James Knowles at the back post, the midfielder steering a smart volley past Witton goalkeeper Matt Cooper.

Danny Andrews almost levelled instantly, his quickly-taken free kick drifting narrowly wide before the away team fluffed an even better chance to score.

Kyle Wilson was first to Andrews’ arced pass behind the Steels’ defence, spotting Matt Purcell alone in space.

The wide man swerved past a back-marker instead of shooting at the first opportunity, seconds that custodian Jack Ward used to sprint from his line to smother when the winger did let fly.

It felt like a worse miss than it probably was when Danny South, from inside the six-yard box, steered Hamshaw’s corner into an empty net after Cooper failed to claim.

Marc Joseph’s header, from Purcell’s corner, then thudded against the crossbar.

Witton spent most of the second period inside Stocksbridge’s half, pushing the home side backwards.

The visitors speedily halved their deficit, substitute Jon Dawson sending a perfectly-placed drive into the corner after a defender blocked Neville Thompson’s initial attempt.

When Dawson skipped around Royles from Witton’s next attack, spearing a shot towards goal that Ward stopped instinctively with a boot at his near post, Albion were in the ascendancy.

Stocksbridge, while uncomfortable, were never under siege. At least it did not feel as such.

Ward parried brilliantly to steer away Joseph’s violently-hit shot, while Michael Powell headed over after Dawson’s cross-field pass invited Ally Brown to raid down the right.

Dawson indirectly assisted Albion’s equaliser, picking out fellow replacement Chris Luby with a quarter hour left.

When the ball ran loose, Wilson reacted swiftly to sweep it in with power.

There was likely to be only one winner after that though a third, decisive, goal eluded Witton.

Powell deserved better than for his finish, at full stretch, to hit the outside of the post at the end of a flowing move he started with an interception.

Wilson went closer still in stoppage time, but his low shot scraped an upright.

Witton Star Man: Jon Dawson. When a substitute changes the course of a game, it must make a manager’s day. Dawson scored one goal and conjured another as Albion recovered from a two-goals interval deficit to pinch a merited point.

Stocksbridge (4-5-1) Ward (GK), Royles, Swirad, Bowden-Lovell, Turner, Knowles, Senior, Callery (Bettney 15, Hoyle 71), Hamshaw, White (Denton 81), South Subs not used Akeister, Travis Goals Knowles 20, South 33

Witton (4-4-2) Cooper (GK), Brown, Harrison, Joseph (Sheehan 73), Moyo, Purcell (Dawson 46), Powell, Breeze, Andrews, Wilson, Thompson (Luby 58) Subs not used Glover, Ashworth Goals Dawson 53, Wilson 74 Booked Powell (foul)

Referee M Hutchinson (Bingham)
Attendance 146