Northwich 0 Gravesend & N 0

GRAVESEND & Northfleet's Andy Ford emerged the happier of the two managers after watching his side register a much sought point after first clean sheet of the season.

But that was the sum total of his satisfaction on an afternoon when both teams showed why they are being strongly tipped for relegation from the Nationwide Conference.

Fleet remain fourth from bottom with 14 points, six more than second-bottom Northwich. Their respective positions were reflected in the poor quality of the game.

Ford summed up: “It was a poor game and both teams really struggled to find that bit of quality.

“I have to be happy with a clean sheet away from home because we defended well the whole of the game. At the other end, we didn’t work their goalkeeper enough and I didn’t think our balls forward were of good quality.”

Opposite number Alvin McDonald, who has just taken charge of Northwich, added: “Gravesend are happy with a point and I don’t blame them. Their manager said before the game that they would be satisfied with a goal which they would try and defend. So they got men behind the ball and defended well.

“But neither side played good football and we were totally lacking in confidence. It was a vitally important game for us and there was no passion.”

It was the Fleet who went closest to breaking the deadlock eight minutes from the end of time when substitute Ben Abbey saw a shot strike the crossbar.