TYTHERINGTON Rocks hit back twice to grab a valuable point in a torrid game at Cirencester.

The result ended Rocks’ run of nine consecutive wins but they have still not lost a league game since September 3.

However, Tytherington fell behind after nine minutes when Town striker Connor Teatome beat the offside trap and picked up a long pass from winger Ollie Pitt, and although Rocks goalkeeper Tom Sheppard parried the ball it fell for Teatome to glide his effort into the empty net.

Tytherington were trying to play the ball down but were hesitant to move it around, while Cirencester were playing one touch football with pace.

This was a little bit of a reality check for Gary Powell’s side, who missed Toby Colbourne and Adamo Missiato on a day where their defence had a bad afternoon, except for Sheppard, who made some splendid saves.

With 13 minutes left in the opening period, leading scorer Justin Bishop equalised for his 13th goal of the season out of nothing, as he fastened on to Jack Smyth’s low pass to squirt the ball past the struggling goalkeeper.

Cirencester went ahead again two minutes after the break, when the unmarked Danny Hale got up at the near post to put in a quicksilver header into the net.

After Bishop went off injured the Rocks put Justin Pritchard and Alex Chapman in a dual spearhead with Smyth just behind them and with four minutes left the Rocks showed why they are top of the table by getting the goal to share the points.

The hero was Stuart Nelson, who successfully converted a penalty after Smyth had been tripped.

Nelson said: “We got a draw because we never gave up, against a team who played some good football.

On Tuesday, December 27, the Rocks are at home against Trowbridge Town (2 pm).