STEETON extended their unbeaten run in the league to five matches with a hard-fought draw against Daisy Hill.
Looking to avenge the 5-0 thrashing at the hands of their opposition on the opening day in August, both sides battled the conditions as a result of Storm Boelo as well as each other.
However, manager Roy Mason felt a share of the spoils was the fairest result as his side recovered from a slow start to the afternoon to secure a point.
The visitors in truth dominated large parts of the first half but struggled to find a breakthrough.
Creating a number of early chances, they found themselves frustrated by a string of fine saves from Brad Emmerson.
Emmerson in fact pulled off a save that left those in attendance marvelling as with a free header inside the box being beneath the crossbar and looked a certain goal until the goalkeeper somehow used a strong palm to push the ball away.
Daisy Hill would find the opener midway through the half in controversial circumstances.
Winning a free-kick just inside their half, the ball was rolling a good ten yards from where the foul was awarded.
Despite the location and moving ball, the referee, who would become the centre of controversy once more in the second half, allowed the visitors to take the set piece quickly.
This allowed Will Shawcross to go through unchallenged and finish inside the near post.
Steeton protests were irate and immediate, but the official showed no interest in disallowing the goal and pulling play back.
Shortly before the interval, the Chevrons found an equaliser against the run of play.
Congesting the midfield, Marley Spence won back possession just inside the Daisy half and found Joe Edmonds.
The winger played a lovely one-two with Macca Smith before delivering a cross into the area.
Despite being man marked with hIs back to goal, Kevin Gonzalez managed to win the header as he showed great power to flick the ball on.
And that header would find the net as it went across the outstretched diving Harry Allen in the Daisy Hill goal and landed inside the far post.
Steeton started the second half brightly with Adam Terrelonge finding lots of room down the left channel, with Josh Coe and Gonzalez both squandering chances from the deliveries.
Then came the afternoon’s biggest talking point.
A through ball from Terrelonge fell into the path of Gonzalez and the striker found himself through on goal as the last man.
Now on the edge of the area and shaping himself up to shoot, he was pulled down from behind by Sam Corbishley.
Expecting the red card to be produced, the referee instead showed the yellow card sparking fury from all those of a Steeton persuasion.
Mason would admit following the game that the decision to not reduce the visitors to ten men left him bemused.
Just moments later, the man in the middle made himself centre of attention once more.
Daisy keeper Allen rightfully leapt into the air to take possession of a cross into the area.
The keeper’s knee however contacted the face of Edmonds, ending the midfielder’s afternoon, but the referee awarded the visitors a free-kick further sparking scenes of anger from the home side.
Steeton though had a glorious chance to win the game as a Smith free-kick bounced off Coe into the path of Arley Barnes, the captain’s strike rattling the upright.
Late on, the visitors had two chances to win the game, but another fine Emmerson save and a block from Nathan Storton made sure the result ended level.
STEETON (Subs): Emmerson; M Smith; Dowden; Barnes (Longley); Storton; Spence; Edmonds (Alasttal); Fernandez (Mitchell); Coe; Gonzalez; Terrelonge (Burrows). Sub (Not Used): Williamson
GOAL (Assist): Gonzalez 42’ (Edmonds)
