Oswestry can draw comfort

With eight games remaining, the point kept Town in sixth spot, five points adrift of their second-placed Staffordshire hosts, and nine off the pace.

“Before the game, I would have taken a point as we had seven or eight missing, including five centre forwards, but the lads did brilliantly, and on other days, we could have come away with all three points,” said manager Matt Burton.

“It was a big pitch, windy conditions, but they gave me everything, and it was a really disciplined performance.”

Keeping a clean sheet on this debut was goalkeeper Mason Springthorpe, who was signed to replace Louie Mackin who is sidelined with concussion.

The 24-year-old, who once moved from Shrewsbury to Everton for a six-figure sum, has plenty of experience in the non-league circuit, and arrived at Park Hall after helping out Market Drayton.

He was not called into too many saves, while Town had the best opportunities in the second period, with Harry Bower and Ed Moss both denied by smart work from the home keeper.

Town are unbeaten in their last five league games, with four successive wins before last weekend’s draw against their Stone hosts.

Lowly Ellesmere Rangers, meanwhile, slipped closer to relegation after crashing 5-0 at home to Barnton.

A 35th-minute strike from Jordan Cobley separated the sides at the break, before the visitors took charge in the second period with Cobley completing his hat-trick along with further goals from Luke Wilson-Jones and Sam Houghton (penalty).

St Martins, who reached the semi-final of the Shropshire Cup with a 2-1 victory over Shawbury United in midweek, were without a league game.

Whitchurch Alport went down 1-0 at Irlam in the Premier Division. They are 15th in the table.