Forced to play with 10 men for just under an hour, they defended superbly and came agonisingly close to snatching victory with one of the last kicks of the game.

This was the second time in a fortnight that Town’s ranks had been reduced, following the sending-off of Lee Hume and Kenzie Harker against Carlisle City. On each occasion, manager Deano Browne has had to change tactics to plug holes and adapt his team’s shape.

New signing Harvey Rudd was chosen ahead of Oscar Cullen at right-back, perhaps with an eye on the heavy pitch, and midfielders James Coatsworth and Jack Stapley returned to the starting line-up.

There was a lot at stake against West Allotment, who sit directly below Northallerton in the lower reaches of the Ebac Northern League First Division, and they were a stronger proposition than the side that lost 3-0 in the FA Cup at the Calvert Stadium back in August.

Danger man Benjamin Shodeinde was narrowly wide with an effort midway through the first half before the contest took a crucial turn after 38 minutes when Town centre-half Ben Dale was sent off for violent conduct following a goalmouth fracas. Home players had taken exception to a challenge on goalkeeper Matty Calvert and the situation quickly boiled over.

Calvert made a couple of good saves towards the end of the half as the visitors sought to take advantage of their numerical superiority. Browne introduced substitutes Kenzie Harker and Will Kitching at the start of the second period and changed formation to make his side harder to play through.

Although West applied heavy pressure at times, the home defence stood defiant with players throwing their bodies on the line to frustrate the visitors. Then, as the clock wound down, substitute Will Kitching came close to snatching the winner, but his header from a Coatsworth free-kick flashed narrowly wide.

It was Northallerton’s first goalless draw of the season and protects their narrow advantage over the bottom three.

Northallerton Town: Calvert, Rudd (Cullen 82), Haase, Sartini, Dale, Wilkinson, Stapley (Harker 46 (Dixon 87)), J Kitching, Croft (W Kitching 46), Coatsworth, Banks.

Sub not used: Kirokiro.

West Allotment Celtic: Gladstone, Turnbull, S Nicholson, Mullen, Grant, A Nicholson, Potter, Laidler (Griggs 68), Shodeinde, McIntyre, Grieveson.

Subs not used: Cairns, Richardson.

Att: 143.