NANTWICH Town’s reward for ending a sequence of three successive home defeats on Tuesday is a share of second spot in the Premier Division table.

The Dabbers had not scored in that run either.

Christian Smith’s leveller with time running out replied to Elliott Durrell’s first half opener for Hednesford Town, earning the hosts a merited share of the spoils.

They now head to strugglers Eastwood Town in positive mood this Saturday, kick off 3pm.

Jimmy Quinn’s men felt they should have had a penalty after four minutes when Josh Lane’s run behind John Disney looked to have been ended illegally by Hednesford man.

However referee Mark Duncan, ruled the challenge to have been fair.

Kyle Wilson missed a glorious opportunity for Nantwich on the quarter hour as a delightful pass from Fraser McLachlan found the former Bangor City front man, but he chipped the ball wide.

Instead Hednesford took the lead on 29 minutes as Durrell whipped his 20-yard free kick across the area and into the bottom corner.

Nantwich leading scorer Sean Cooke was closest to finding the reply in the first half as his left-footed shot clipped the bar after Lewis Short had played in the former Crewe Alex junior.

The Pitmen thought they had won it with 15 minutes to go when former Dabber Michael Lennon pierced the hosts’ defence, only for his effort to hit strike partner Aaron Rey on the line.

It took just two minutes for Nantwich to then get the equaliser as Mat Bailey headed Cooke’s corner back across goal for Smith to nod past keeper Dan Crane.

Lennon then broke the Dabbers’ offside trap again, looking certain to score when one-on-one with Brain only for the ex-Macclesfield stopper to produce a fine save.

Francino Frances cleared Wilson’s attempt off the line in the contest’s final exchange.

Nantwich: Brain (GK), Moss (Flynn 62), McDonald, Maguire (Hughes 64), Bailey, Smith, Cooke, McLachlan, Lane (Beesley 77), Wilson, Short. Subs not used: Foster, Jones.