Harrogate Town came away from Brackley with a rare point, after a brave battle on an atrocious pitch.
Simon Weaver made one change from Tuesday nights lineup, with Jake Wright starting in place of Dominic Knowles.
The first half was played at a tremendous pace which belied the appalling conditions.
Jack Emmett was the first to threaten Brackley’s goal when he shot narrowly wide from a John McCombe knockdown.
Emmett again went close for Town while Glenn Walker retaliated for the hosts with a shot that was just off target.
With eight minutes left in the half, Town again went near to scoring when Joe Leesley’s curling shot was dropped by keeper, Danny Lewis,but he reacted quickly to thwart the advancing Wright.
The last action of an absorbing first half saw James Belshaw make a brilliant one handed save to turn James Armson’s shot for the corner of the net, past the upright.
As the second period progressed,water began to settle on parts of the pitch and it looked at times, that the game could be abandoned.
Nevertheless, both sides served up an intriguing contest in near impossible conditions as they searched for a breakthrough.
The mercurial Emmett’s low centre across goal found nobody in place to convert, while Brackley hit back with Lee Ndlovu driving a Shane Byrne pass into the side netting.
Brackley finished the stronger and Belshaw had to make a vital block to keep out Aaron Williams as he broke through the Town defence.
Referee Howard then incensed the Brackley faithful as he waved away strong claims for a penalty as Belshaw appeared to bring down a Brackley attacker, but Town survived to bring home a precious point.
Town
Belshaw,Burrell,Parker,Falkingham,Kitching,McCombe,Falkingham,Thomson,Emmett,Beck,Wright,Leesley(Thewlis 75).
Unused subs,Knowles,Cracknell,Fallowfield,Agnew. Booked Parker.
Brackley
Lewis, Murombedzi, Lowe, Byrne, Graham, Dean,Walker, Armson(Nicholson 69), Ndlovu,Williams(Iaciofano 81), Walker.
Unused subs, Brown, Streete, Myles. Booked Walker. Att.750
Referee P Howard
By John Harrison
