Non-league round-up: Tight draws, dramatic wins and postponements
Shifnal Town came from behind to earn a draw at Stalybridge Celtic in the Northern One West.
In a tough match against the team sitting fifth in the division, the hosts started on the front foot and Liam Tongue brought a good save from Andy Wycherley in the first minute with a 20-yard effort.
They had another good chance after seven minutes when a ball in from the right found Max Leonard, but he shot far too high.
From the resulting goal-kick, Matthew Barnes-Homer laid the ball off to Kev Monteiro, who drove it into the top corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area to give Shifnal the lead.
The goal lifted the visitors and they had the better of things for the next 20 minutes. Celtic had their share of possession, but made numerous errors when in good positions.
They eventually dragged themselves back into the game, and they equalised on 32 minutes. A cross from the left was headed back across goal for Michael Koral to tap in.
Just two minutes later Town should have regained the lead from a superb cross from Macaulay Taylor but Barnes-Homer somehow headed it the wrong side of the post.
The home side took control for the remainder of the first half, and Leonard headed against the post in the 36th minute and two minutes before the break, the same player was narrowly wide with a shot from 18 yards.
Celtic started the second period as they left off the first, and Jordan Butterworth should have given them the lead after 54 minutes, but he headed straight at Wycherley from Aaron Chalmers’ cross.
Unsurprisingly they did take the lead on 64 minutes, when Butterworth was left with a free header from a corner.
Town boss Connor Patterson made some substitutions midway through the half, which revitalised them and prevented what could have been an embarrassing defeat.
Tongue was desperately unlucky not to give the home side a two-goal lead in the 74th minute, his 25-goal strike coming back off the inside of the post.
Shifnal’s equaliser came after 80 minutes from a short corner. The ball was crossed from the left, and substitute Abdulrasaq Alamu-Tajudeen headed in at the near post.
Stalybridge did get one further chance for maximum points a minute into time added on, but Jack Irlam’s 22-yard effort was saved by Wycherley.
Across other leagues, stormy weather impacted several games as Whitchurch Alport's Midland League Premier Division clash at Stone Old Alleynians, AFC Bridgenorth's home Midland League Division One game with Heather St. John's and Telford Town's home game with Ashville in the North West Counties League Division One South were all postponed.
Elsewhere in the North West Counties League Division One South, Haughmond smashed Cheadle Heath Nomads 5-0 with a brace from Harvey Lewis and hat-trick from Ethan Pickford.
Allscott Heath also won 3-1 at New Mills with goals from Steven Hole, Joseph Culshaw and Kian Newnes, while Shawbury United lost 2-0 at Alsager Town.
Market Drayton Town also won at bottom club Wolverhampton Sporting, after a dramatic flurry of late goals.
It took until the 83rd minute for the deadlock to be broken, when Jack Finney netted from the penalty spot.
Oliver Jones then doubled Drayton's lead in the 90th minute, before Sporting halved the deficit shortly after through George Dimmock.
There was a late fourth goal but it was not a Sporting equaliser and instead Drayton made it 3-1 in the 96th minute through Harry Minshall.
Meanwhile in the Hellenic League Division One, Ludlow Town drew 2-2 at Wantage Town.
