RADCLIFFE BORO 1, WITTON ALBION 1: SOME times cliches are inaccurate but on this occasion two of them are spot on - this was indeed a game of two halves, and Boro can consider the result as two points lost rather than one point won writes Peter Collins

For the first 20 minutes they bossed the show with their fast flowing side-to-side football, played at the usual frenetic pace, and as early as the ninth minute they showed how dangerous they can be with the ball on the ground when Simon Carden's deft flick-on was pounced on by Steve Foster, but unfortunately his first time shot went straight into Albion goalkeeper Paul Gibson's hands.

On 11 minutes Gibson punched a corner straight out to Davey Luker, whose return header fell nicely for Rory Patterson, but he somehow fired wide from six yards.

Albion's first real effort on target didn't arrive until the 17th minute, when Mike Moseley's dipping low shot brought a good diving save out of Danny Hurst in the Boro goal.

On 20 minutes Hurst had to tip over the bar a dipping, swirling 25-yarder from Michael Yates, and six minutes later Albion took the lead, with more than a little help from the home defence.

Wilson's long punt downfield was falling nicely for Boro captain Davey Luker 30 yards out from is own goal.

It seemed he had an eternity to head it gently to his left to teammate Simon Kelly.

However, he instead headed it straight at Moseley who was a couple of yards in front of him. The ball rebounded of the Albon captain's chest and past Luker, and Moseley had the simple ask of gliding past the wrong-footed Boro man to go one-on-one with Hurst and fire past him into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

The goal gave the visitors the upper hand for the rest of the half and they began to dominate. Darell Dicken shot just wide; Simon Burton's rasping shot from the right touchline cannoned to safety off Hurst's right post; and Yates' volley was pushed around an upright.

In between Simon Carden's bullet header from seven yards unfortunately struck Wilson instead of the net, although the Albion keeper knew little about it.

After being chastened during the break Boro emerged for the second half intent on righting wrongs and were level within two minutes.

A cross from the right found Foster galloping into the Albion box and in one deft movement he spun around to dispach the ball into the left-hand corner of the net on the volley.

From that point on Albion decided to take the point on offer, cut out the flowing football and replace it with a defence-first approach and the long ball game.

On 66 minutes it was almost a case of deja vu, when Patterson's flick-on found Foster in the box again, he shook off his marker to fire in a volley but this time it bounced off Wilson's chest as Boro fully regained their attacking momentum.

Their play took on a different dimension in the 74th minute when Patterson was replaced with Phil Denney who, having recovered from a thigh injury, was pushed up front where he won every high ball pumped up to him, as Boro began to expand their attacking options.

On 84 mintures Lee Duffy's pinpoint cross found Andy Heald unmarked 10 yards out from the Albion goal, but he flashed his header wide.

Two minutes into stoppage time it looked like Boro's fluid approach work would be rewarded.

Hurst's clearance downfield was nodded on by Heald for Foster to chase and the Boro hitman found himself one-on-one again with Wilson, but unfortunately the keeper came off best again and Boro had to settle for the point.

l BORO: Hurst, Duffy, Battersby, McGuire, Heald, Kelly, Wilson, Carden, Patterson, Foster, Luker. Subs: Marginson (for McGuire, 66), Sampson (for Carden 85), Denney (for Patterson, 74).