Fine point and another clean sheet for Buxton in draw at Kettering

It was perhaps fitting that teams locked together on 32 points after as much as two-thirds of the season should share the spoils following this closely-fought encounter in which they ultimately cancelled each other out.

Both sides made chances and the frame of the goals was struck three times, once by the hosts and twice by the visitors, but the keepers' work was generally of the regulation variety and both Theo Richardson and Town's Foulkes, on loan from Derby County, were error-proof.

Both teams also had absence issues and it was particularly galling for the Bucks that just when Shaun Brisley and Diego de Girolamo were back in action, Tommy Elliott and Sam Osborne, goalscorers in the last two outings, were ruled out and thereby joined Scott Boden and Warren Clarke, plus Chris Dawson who is gaining match fitness with Ossett United.

Both teams kicked off in similar good form, each having achieved a recent brace of deserved victories, but it was Buxton who went close to establishing an early lead as Brad Jackson's penetrating sixth-minute cross allowed Diego a 16-yard shot that was deflected against the underside of the bar but not, according to the well-placed assistant, over the goal-line.

After an otherwise even opening quarter-hour, for a while Kettering had rather the better of the exchanges, seeing a goal disallowed on 26 minutes as the ball was out of play before a cut-back was made.

Two minutes later an effort rebounded from a post into a grateful Richardson's arms.

Curiously, that incident was matched in the 39th minute as Buxton replicated it. From Jackson's cut-back on the right by-line, Diego's prodded low shot rebounded from the inside of the far post to the undoubtedly equally appreciative Foulkes.

Indeed it was going to be one of those days when a legal goal just would not come.

A limitation for both teams was the difficult Latimer Park pitch but the visitors adapted accordingly, deploying Theo's accurate long-kicking to probing the left side consistently but neither Max Conway nor debutant midfielder Jordan Barnett from Matlock Town could create a dangerous opening through a sound home defence.

The Poppies attacked purposefully on the re-start and Richardson had to make a fine catch and hold from ex-Silverlander Brad Gascoigne's fierce cross, but it was the Bucks who just before the hour had the half's best chance to fashion a winner.

Brad Jackson was again the architect with a threatening cross from the right, Barnett played the ball back for Joe Ackroyd, now retained on loan for the rest of the season, but his 18-yard effort narrowly missed the target.

Kettering had a spell on top around three-quarters time, but Buxton's defending was up to the task and the visitors emerged to create a final scoring opportunity.

From Jak McCourt's 77th-minute corner-kick, Diego headed over the angle.

In a mostly untroubled finale, manager Craig Elliott made all his substitutions to successfully protect a third consecutive clean sheet and a hard-earned point, which unfortunately was somewhat devalued by wins for close rivals Boston, Bradford and Curzon.

On Tuesday the Bucks make a first visit to Leamington to fulfil the fixture that was postponed last Tuesday.

The Brakes on Saturday dropped into the bottom four for the first time, have now not won in 13 NLN matches and have earned full points just once in their last 20 fixtures.