Cumbernauld Colts 3 Shire 3: Barclay banks point for Colts

Shie arrived looking to add to their 100-plus goal tally in all competitions for the season.

And Graeme MacGregor was unlucky not to give them a 17th minute lead with a great 20-yard shot that smacked off the Colts’ crossbar.

Their defensive frailty was exposed, though, four minutes later when the home team’s Stephen O’Neill was allowed all the space he needed to play a nice 1-2 pass and then unleash a curling shot over the diving Jamie Barclay in the Shire goal.

It might have been 2-0 not long after when Colts broke quickly and Sean Brown tried to fire home at the near post but Barclay saved.

However, on the half hour, Ciolts did double their advantage.

Shire gave the ball away carelessly on halfway and Colts launched a rapid counter-attack which Brown rounded off with a nice angled finish.

Shire’s Andy Rodgers pulled a goal back only three minutes later with a nice shot from inside the box after Colts failed to clear a free-kick.

The visitors commanded the second half and after 69 minutes Rodgers was brought down in the box by keeper Chris Fahey and scored the penalty himself to bring the scores level.

John Sludden’s men now looked the likely winner and when David Grant headed home Paul Sludden’s left-wing cross after 78 minutes it looked as though they would claim the three points.

But, with three minutes to go, Colts worked an overlap on the right to gave Jamie Barclay a clear chance to shoot past his namesake for the leveller.