Stockport Town 2-2 Cheadle Town

So here it was. On a bitterly cold (and occasionally wet) Monday evening in Woodley, the game of the century. Massive. Huge. A "derby" to end all derbies. The result upon which your children's lives depended.

Okay, maybe that last bit is a bit far-fetched but the pre-match hyperbole was allowed to roam free yet again for a match where only three points were at stake. Nothing more, nothing less.

And even then those points ended up being shared, with the hosts being much happier with theirs than we were with ours.

Now that the dust has settled we can't help feeling that we somewhat let our hosts off the hook.

With their keeper sent off early in the second half and having to resort to putting an outfield player in there as a replacement, our siege on their goal didn't produce the win that it could have done.

We went into half-time a goal down after one of the seven ex-Cheadle Town players that our hosts had on their roster for the night had put them into an early lead: Justin Pickering bundling home from close range after Aaron Dwyer had drilled a low cross in from the right.

That was after just four minutes but there had been an effort for either side by then.

Danny Whiting had to make a good save with our hosts' first attack of the match with Rick Whyatt then being gifted a poor clearance by the keeper, only for him to snatch at his shot and send it hopelessly wide.

Our hosts arguably had slightly the better of the first half. Danny Whiting had to tip an awkward shot over the bar, Justin Pickering and Aaron Dwyer both lifted half-decent chances over the bar with Pickering then being sent through on goal on the stroke of half-time but quick-thinking on Danny Whiting's part forcing him wide.

Before the brouhaha of the sending off on the 50th minute Rick Whyatt had somehow planted an effort over from a yard out and Dwyer lashed a shot just wide down at the other end.

Rick Whyatt got a better chance on goal in that 50th minute but was completely taken out by the keeper when through on goal. Double jeopardy kicked in, off he went and a penalty was awarded which Chris Sherrington stroked home to bring us level.

Cue the siege.

Chris Sherrington couldn't quite get himself onto the end of a searching cross on 65 minutes with a Collinson header drifting just wide of the post five minutes later.

On 75 minutes, the sucker punch. Ex-Cheadle player Aaron Dwyer - who had caused us problems all night - clipping in a well-measured shot over Whiting to give the hosts an unexpected lead. 

Two minutes later it should have been level again. Substitute Adam Gardiner was clean through on goal but didn't quite get enough meat on the shot, allowing our hosts' makeshift keeper to make a block.

Rick Whyatt then headed over from close range, Chris Sherrington blasted over from the edge of the area as a corner fell to him with George Clarey then heading home only for it to be called offside.

With three minutes to go, we finally levelled it up. Adam Gardiner was through on goal once again, in exactly the same position as before but with a more productive result this time around as he poked the ball past the onrushing keeper.

And that was to be it in terms of chances, even despite there being seven minutes of added time.

As it transpired at the end of the match our very own Tom Ratican had to be taken to A&E as a precautionary measure due to suspected concussion. This was confirmed and he will be out for a week, but we're glad to say that he is back home with his feet up and resting.

Onto this weekend and, weather permitting, we welcome Whitchurch Alport to Park Road.

TEAM: Whiting, Nield, Ratican (Clarey), Trucca, Shaw, Harrison, Collinson, Fleming, Ambrose (Gardiner), Whyatt, C Sherrington. SUBS: Clarey, Gardiner, Plumb, Piggott (GK)