FROME Town produced an excellent performance and matched Brackley in all departments as a second-half Josh Brigham goal cancelled out a first half Dan Winters wonder strike.

A pinpoint through ball in the the 10th minute from Matt Smith led to Ricky Hulbert having the first chance of the match for Frome, but the volley went wide of the post Frome went behind in the 20th minute as Winters picked the ball up a good 30 yards from goal, swivelled and crash home an unstoppable left foot shot that swerved in the air and beat Darren Chitty completely.

Three minutes later, Frome were slightly fortunate to escape a penalty as Jamie Cheeseman caught the ball as he saw the linesman momentarily flagged for offside, but the free kick for offside was given instead.

Winters went close again in the 30th minute, but this time drilled the ball past the post, then Frome had a clear chance as Brigham chipped into the path of Mike Perrott, but the shot from 18 yards cleared the bar. A stunning interception and through ball from Smith gave Hulbert a shooting opportunity in the 33rd minute, but Jon Bond saved well from 12 yards.

After surviving a 10-minute period of Brackley midfield domination, Frome rebounded and looked the more active of the two sides in the 10 minutes leading up to half time, with Brigham and Tooze combining well to instigate attacks from the right wing.

But the Brackley defence always looked composed and the half time score remained 1-0 to Brackley. Frome started brightly in the second half with Smith twice testing Bond from range in the first few minutes, but Brackley looked composed in defence and were restricting Frome to long-range efforts.

The equaliser came in the 67th minute as Kyle Tooze was fouled by Joe Magunda on the edge of the box.

Ben Thomson took the free kick, Brigham rose, flicked the ball with his head and it flew unerringly into the far top corner of the Brackley goal.

Smith again set Hulbert free in the 71st minute with another perfect through ball, but Bond was again equal to the task, and as both sides looked for the winner it turned into an open, entertaining game, albeit with few further chances, and both goalkeepers being well protected by their defences.

Frome’s man of the match Brigham so nearly won it with the last kick of the match as he won two strong challenges, advanced on the Brackley goal and let fly with a 30 yard screamer that was curling the right way but just kissed the outside of the post as it went by.

Attendance: 253

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