Lichfield City were forced to settle for a frustrating point at basement side Racing Club Warwick.
Paul Holt’s men were hoping to follow-up on their biggest win of the season against Pilkington XXX on Saturday, but found the Midland Combination Premier Division side in resilient mood.
Things got off to the perfect start for City when Ashley Bennett found the net with just 30 seconds on the clock.
But the lead didn’t last as the home side took advantage of a mix-up between Sam Geffen and Todd Perry that allowed Eli Jones to nip between them and slide the ball past Craig Johnson.
The visitors’ evening went from bad to worse when a controversial penalty for Racing Club allowed Luke Wilson to give his side a 2-1 lead.
The scores were level once more on 40 minutes when Lichfield striker Kyle Minto nodded home a Liam Holt free-kick to make it 2-2 going into the break.
While the first-half may have been full of action, the second period turned into a battle as the home side dug in to protect a much-needed point, while City struggled to break them down on a pitch showing the effects of the recent poor weather.
Lichfield’s cause was boosted when Warwick goalscorer Wilson saw red for a second bookable offence with 25 minutes left, but the visitors failed to take advantage as the hosts sat their ten-men behind the ball.
City saw three penalty appeals down in the last five minutes as the game ended in frustration.
