A tight and tense local derby predictably ended goalless in the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides, played in front of a healthy crowd at the Vestacare Stadium.
Manager Alex Frost named an unchanged starting eleven after last Saturday’s excellent win in Staffordshire, with Sam Rathbone replacing Jack Sloan on the bench. The home side had the first opportunity of the afternoon to break the deadlock, with Jake Cottrell making space for himself on the area, but he could not get his shot on target.
The visitors then went close on two occasions, with Kane Wallwork deflecting a goal bound header over the bar, and Grant Shenton making a fine save low to his right to keep out a deflected effort from Alfie Belcher. Neither side managed to hit the target in the first 45 minutes after that, although Bebeto Gomes and Louis Potts went close as Avro finished the half strongly.
After the break, there was again little to choose between the two teams, with both sides resolute in defence but guilty of wastefulness in the final third after good approach play. Former Ro striker Oumar Camara was close to scoring the opening goal when he got on the end of a low cross from the right, but the ball flashed past Shenton’s left hand post from close range.
At the other end, Muis Bibire Bello was inches away from what surely have been the winner in injury time, but his shot hit the post before being scrambled away to ensure that the game ended in stalemate.
