Andy Owens' early goal fires-up AFC Telford - match analysis and pictures

You wouldn't have put your shirt on Owens being the man responsible for earning Telford a draw, as he entered league game number 13 of the team's season firing blanks.

And Liam Watson's side very nearly didn't have a strip at all, with referee Andy Hendley ruling out both their white home and red away kits to play in. He deemed both numbers as too similar to the red-and-white stripes of Brackley, so Telford had to borrow the home side's away shirts for the match.

The yellow shirt brought Owens luck in front of goal and it was a break the 24-year-old badly needed after doing everything but score in Saturday's 4-2 defeat at Stockport County. His long throw there early on caused Phil Jevons to head against his own crossbar. His grappling with the Stockport defence helped win a penalty.

A goal was only a matter of time.

Rather than rue another game passing without scoring, he kept his head up and battled on. Maybe the floodgates will open now as, after all, he's breached one of the league's meanest defences.

Fitness is an issue, though. He had to be replaced after less than half an hour through injury. But he had already played his part.

Looking at the bigger picture, it was a point well won for Watson's men that could have been more, and proved a response from Stockport.

Now it's all systems go for Stalybridge Celtic at home on Saturday.

Last night, Owens' intervention gave the visitors the advantage at the break, but Brackley battled back in the second-half to net an equaliser from Glenn Walker.

The teams hustled and bustled for position early on until a goal out of the blue in the 18th minute that Owens will cherish.

Matthew McGinn's corner from the right landed back with him and his snap shot was turned in by Owens, who stuck out a foot to turn the ball into the net.

With the bit between his teeth, Owens soon jinked his way back into the Brackley box, having skipped past home captain Ryan Austin, but couldn't get a shot away.

The tall striker was substituted on 29 minutes for Adam Farrell but it was still all Telford.

McGinn's long throw on 36 minutes was met with a header from Mike Grogan that looped over beaten goalkeeper Billy Turley but pranged off the crossbar to safety.

The Bucks had the ball in the net five minutes before the break, Sean Cooke's free-kick headed in by Grand, but the effort was controversially struck off by referee Hendley for an alleged push in a crowded box.

Watson certainly didn't, calling it a "perfectly good goal".

It took Brackley 56 minutes to register their first shot on goal, with Danny Newton blasting over from 20 yards. But they equalised on 63 minutes thanks to sheer perseverance from Glenn Walker.

Walker won the ball in the Telford box as the defence dithered and he cut inside to nutmeg goalkeeper Ryan Young for the goal. And the hosts almost took the lead four minutes later when Steve Towers' cross fell to Newton on the volley, with Young tipping his shot over.

Telford came close to restoring their advantage with 20 minutes to go when Grogan's shot took a deflection to wrong-foot Turley, but he managed to recover and punch the ball to safety.

Substitutes combined as Farrell broke down the right with Mike Phenix in the support on 77 minutes and the cut back found its recipient, only to be blocked six yards out.

Grand's first foot wrong late on nearly let in Brackley substitute Gary Mulligan, but it was Young to the rescue for Telford, denying the attacker a late winner.

The shares were spoiled as, on a cold night in front of a sparse crowd, Telford rolled up their sleeves. Let's hope a Bonfire rises under the Bucks now.