CORSHAM Town stopped the rot on Saturday as a 1-1 draw at Wiltshire rivals Calne Town ended a run of three successive defeats.

In one of only four Toolstation First Division fixtures to beat the wet weather last Saturday, Adam Mitchell’s second-half opener for Corsham was cancelled out by a fine strike from the Lilywhites’ Mark Dolman at Bremhill View.

Both sides felt a point apiece was the right outcome in conditions Calne manager Ben Redford described as “tough”.

“A draw was a fair result in the end,” said Redford. “I was surprised the game was on, to be honest, but although there was standing water in places, the pitch held up alright.

“Corsham played five at the back and it was difficult to break them down. We struggled to create much at all until the last 10 minutes, and then we had five or six opportunities to win it.”

An end-to-end affair lacked quality in the penalty areas, with Dolman and Josh Hard threatening for Calne as the home team made the brighter start.

Corsham improved though and Mitchell, Billy Cookson and Tony McElhone all went close before the break, while Dolman saw an effort turned around the post by visiting keeper Mark Billingsley.

It was the away side who broke the deadlock on 56 minutes after the restart as Ben Starr’s cross was blocked as far as Mitchell, who fired home the loose ball with a rasping shot from near the edge of the area.

Dolman’s strike from 25 yards brought the scores level with 11 minutes to go and Corsham were made to work hard for their point after Billy Cookson saw red for comments made to a referee’s assistant in the closing stages.

Calne were without six key players for the Wiltshire derby encounter but Redford hopes to welcome back Stuart Windsor, Harry Myles and possibly Marcus Lovesey for Saturday’s home game against third-from-bottom Ashton and Backwell United on Saturday. Rory Worthington and Matt Hudson will miss out, however.

“It’s another game we’re looking to win but, like all sides who are down there at the moment, Ashton and Backwell will be fighting for their lives,” said Redford.

Corsham, meanwhile, travel to Somerset to take on Wincanton Town.

Elsewhere last weekend, Lewis McCarron’s hat-trick helped Chippenham Park win 4-1 away to fellow mid-table side Oldland Abbotonians. Jamie Norman also netted for Park, who will look to extend their unbeaten run to five matches when they visit fifth-placed Welton Rovers on Saturday.

Devizes Town are set to return to action at home to league leaders Keynsham after last weekend’s trip to another of the title contenders, Westbury United, was called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Meadow Lane.