WILTSHIRE LEAGUE: PURTON remain in the driving seat in the race for the Division One West title after pinching a 1-1 draw with close rivals Ross Town.

The season-long unbeaten record of Alan Clark's men appeared to be in jeopardy when Kenny Hughes hit an early penalty wide and David Skipp rifled the hosts ahead against the run of play on the half-hour mark.

Eurshel Fearon levelled ten minutes later after a brilliant Tom Dingle run and pass and Ross also failed to find the target from the spot at the start of the second half.

Hughes then hit the bar with a free-kick but the visitors were forced to hang on in the final 15 minutes when goalkeeper Luke Alford was sent off for handling outside the area.

Mark McMeekin donned the gloves for the rest of the game but Ross failed to test him in the closing stages and Purton maintain their six-point advantage at the top of the table.

Clark thought his troops had done enough to collect maximum points but was satisfied with the result.

He said: "We probably should have sneaked it but the important thing was not to lose and we were happy with a point in the end after having our keeper sent off.

"Everyone wants to be in pole position and that's where we are but it's going to go to the wire."

Third-placed Shrivenham failed to capitalise on the top two dropping points.

Alan Dyton's team also drew 1-1 at resurgent Winterbourne.

Nathan Holt's free-kick with 15 minutes left keeps Shrivvy a point behind Ross and seven behind Purton.

Dyton felt the weekend's wretched weather conditions cost his team the chance to close the gap.

He said: "The game was totally ruined by the gale force wind going straight down the pitch.

"We defended the elements very well in the first period but rarely managed to threaten their goal and the one time we got sloppy we were punished with the goal.

"The second period was a repeat of the first with Winterbourne unable to break our constant pressure.

"Michael Silvanus and Alex Green had excellent opportunities to win the game for us but once again we have failed to capitalise on the leading teams dropping points."

Elsewhere in Division One West, Cirencester United lost to a single late goal at Quarry Nomads while Malmesbury Vics' trip to Headington was abandoned after 20 minutes due to high winds with the score at 0-0.

The local Premier Division matches did not even start because of the elements.