STEETON picked up another valuable point on the road in a fierce encounter with fellow early season strugglers AFC Knowsley.
In truth, the Chevrons were on top for large parts of this hot-tempered affair and manager Roy Mason was left frustrated as his side did not return home with all three points.
But in what is fast becoming the story of the season for Mason’s side, a lack of focus following a goal would deny them back-to-back league wins.
The visitors started brightly with Joe Edmonds striking the crossbar after only ninety seconds after being found free inside the area from great vision by Kobe Mulvilhill-Simpson.
Top scorer Josh Coe, returning from a brief stint out with injury, then somehow missed when it was easier to score as he hit the post with the goal at his mercy after Alfie Dowden’s pass across the face of goal after superb link-up play down the left with Kevin Gonzalez.
Despite this bright start, they allowed Knowsley back into the contest as the first half turned into an end-to-end affair but with little in terms of any further real chances.
The hosts closest effort was a tame strike which was straight at Brad Emmerson.
The second half came and brought with it goals, incident, and controversy throughout.
Seven minutes following the restart, Steeton found the afternoon’s opening goal.
Noticing space on the right, the ball was worked out wide to Edmonds.
The midfielder drove up the slope of the pitch and squared the ball to the edge of the six-yard box.
Andy Briggs, on an emotional return to the club after joining the morning of the game on loan from Silsden, found himself free to turn home a trademark finish and mark his second debut with a goal.
However, the visitors didn’t build on this and surrendered their lead just three minutes later.
Attempting to play an offside trap, Knowsley played in behind the high line.
Despite an attempt for defenders to recover, a ball across the face of goal was not cleared and amongst the scramble, Kieran Nagle-Kelly smashed home at the far post.
Then came the games flashpoint as the referee, who had raised the ire of both sets of players throughout, lost control.
With the ball there to be won after a slip from a Knowsley man, Mulvihill-Simpson tried to take control of possession.
Daniel Bulayima, who had been booked for an off the ball incident in the first half with Arley Barnes, kicked out at the Steeton man before jumping to his feet and striking the midfielder.
This lit the fuse and Mulvihill-Simpson reacted with a strike of his own, the official issuing a straight red for violent conduct after a 21-man scuffle.
Bulayima somehow avoided a second yellow card, and the Steeton players were not prepared to let the issue lie with the man in the middle.
Despite the man disadvantage, the men in green held off the early storm to get back on top of their hosts.
And with five minutes left on the clock, Steeton thought they had found the winner.
Barnes hit a volley sweetly across the goalkeeper and inside the far post.
The referee though controversially ruled the effort out as he said the ball had struck the arm of Briggs despite the striker being felled in the box by a defender.
Then in the final minute of normal time, Nagle-Kelly lunged in high and late on Nathan Storton.
This sparked the growing tensions once more, and the Knowsley right-back was sent for an early bath as the referee issued a straight red card.
STEETON (Subs): Emmerson; M Smith; Dowden; Barnes; Storton; Spence; Edmonds (Fernandez); Mulvihill-Simpson; Coe (Terrelonge); Gonzalez (Mitchell); Briggs. Sub (Not Used): Alasttal.
GOAL (Assist): Briggs 52’ (Edmonds)
