BOOTLE 1 NELSON 1 ONLY a great save by Bootle's goalkeeper Tony Molloy in injury time denied Nelson victory at the Kirkby Sports Centre on Saturday.

Had that chance gone in it would have been hard on the Bucks who had threatened to run away with the game all afternoon.

Carl Howarth had Nelson's best efforts of the first half, but found Molloy in good form to keep the scoresheet blank at the interval.

Bootle centre forward Andy Olsen headed against the Nelson post on 50 minutes and had better fortune six minutes later when he headed a corner kick into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

Nelson were spurred into action and struck back on 64 minutes when Mark Robinson opened up the home defence with his quick thinking and squared the ball for Kiko Rodriguez to fire them level with a low hard shot past the keeper.

In their usual style Nelson threw players forward in search of the winning goal in the closing stages and when Mark Robinson's cross from the right reached Carl Howarth at the far post it looked odds on for him to score.

Tony Molloy however, made an instinctive save.