LOCAL SOCCER: Stowmarket 0 Clacton 0. Watched by a sparse crowd this rearranged fixture ended with the visitors ruing their luck as they felt they deserved more than a share of the spoils.

LOCAL SOCCER

Stowmarket 0 Clacton 0

WATCHED by a sparse crowd this rearranged fixture ended with the visitors ruing their luck as they felt they deserved more than a share of the spoils.

Stowmarket made just one change from the previous match with Whatling replacing Barker. In the opening half the only real effort of note saw Stowmarket player coach Barnard strike the post

following a lay-off by Jopling, after a Langham free kick.

Prior to this incident loud home appeals for a penalty were waved away by referee Brock following the foul on Jopling.

Clacton had the better of the second-half play and after Jopling had wasted a couple of close-range shooting chances the visitors took over to dominate the closing stages with the Stowmarket goal

surviving more than one scare.

The visitors were looking lively going forward with the trickery of ex-Stowmarket player Brown and Hillier causing problems for the Stow defence.

After an effort from Hillier had flashed wide of the Stowmarket post, a couple of goalmouth scrambles were survived by the home side and their defence, marshalled by Oman and Barnard, negotiated the closing stages as Stowmarket earned their first goalless draw of the season.