BEN Hardcastle was on the mark again as Warrington Rylands earned a point at home.

Blues' leading scorer notched his 14th goal of the campaign in the fourth minute against Gainsborough Trinity in the Northern Premier League Premier Division clash at Gorsey Lane.

Twelve minutes later that effort was wiped out by Declan Howe for the Lincolnshire outfit and that is how the scoreline stayed.

Both sides had their chances to take all three points late on but the goalkeepers were alert to avert the dangers.

Neil Reynolds' men stay seventh and remain eight points outside of the play-offs.

“A brilliant game, two really good sides, but how we never won the game it just escapes me,” said Reynolds, who handed a debut off the bench to former England Schoolboy international Callum Gribbin, a versatile winger who has previously played under the Rylands boss elsewhere.

“Gainsborough got a chance right at the end and Luke Pilling had to make an unbelievable world-class save but we should have been out of sight before that.

“I think there were two parts of the game. First 20 minutes we really set alight and we got after them and we went 1-0 up.

“We then fell away the last 25 minutes. And then I thought the second half we controlled completely.

“They had a shot from distance that went wide and they had a great chance at the end.

“But some of the football and the movement we created was exceptional. I'm just proud of the lads, as I say every week. It doesn't feel like a defeat, it just feels like a really good point.

“Gainsborough are a really good side. They absolutely total-footballed us at their place in the second half.

“I think they're as good as we've seen all season. So we knew that we had to be on our mettle.

“We looked fresh, we had opportunities to rest and rotate a few players. Scotty Holding dropped out, brought Dean Furman back in, brought Ben Hough in and it was good.

“Great to see Callum Gribbin on the pitch, he's got exceptional quality and I'm going to love working with him again.

“It's the end of Dontai Gabidon and Taylor Bowen today. They go back to the host clubs unless we can do a deal. Them two have been brilliant.

“But all in all, just a really positive day. And you could see the way that we were clapped off the pitch that everybody knows how well Warrington Rylands have played against a really, really good Gainsborough side.”