MORE of the same, very occasional bright spells but otherwise dull, grey and uninspiring. Manchesters winter, Stands season.

Like the weather, it has deteriorated since August, and, like the weather, it shows few signs of improving in the next four months.

There is some encouragement in the development of Sam Booth, the workrate of Matt Martin and the re-signing of Paul Walsh.

While Mark Greenhalgh has reason to be satisfied with his contribution and Huw Davies will be pleased with his first goal at this level.

Elsewhere serious questions regarding both fitness and fitness-for-purpose remain.

Early signs were promising. Booth, Martin and Davies combining neatly to set up the first goal for Walsh after five minutes. Martin, Walsh and Booth intelligently feeding Davies for the second a minute later.

Fleeting thoughts of 'this-could-be-the-week-when' were unfortunately dispelled immediately, as a regulation right-wing cross presented Whitney with the opportunity for 1-2.

The re-start then inexplicably forced Lee Fawcett into an unscripted scramble around his area, and embarrassment was avoided only when Greenhalgh intervened to hack Cookes shot off the line.

A Kluj 'goal' was then adjudged offside, Martin's intelligent chip drifting narrowly wide, and Whitneys identical response suffered the same fate. They were the only illuminations of the remainder of the first half.

The highlights of the second half were eminently dismissable.

Whitney chipped high of the goal for Pennington.

Booth and Darren Buckley fashioned a chance for Walsh, which was saved.

Buckley then went in one-on-one and dithered, denied by Sadler in the home goal.

Stand, as an attacking force, declined markedly in the absence of service and the final 20 minutes were spent wondering when, not if, the home team would equalise.

With ten minutes to go, they did.

From a right wing corner Raftys left foot sent the ball on an inswinging trajectory which Fawcett failed to read.

The ball dipped gently beyond the young goalkeeper's grasp for 2-2.

There was still time for Jamie Newton to be foiled by Sadler, as Stands resistance offered one last dying twitch but, much as they had been dismantled in the first 20 minutes, Pennington will be disappointed by their failure to capitalise on their superiority in the last quarter, when Stands stamina and resilience were found to be sorely deficient.

Stand: Fawcett, Morley, Greenhalgh, Kluj, Farrelly, Booth, Martin, Smith, Davies, Buckley, Walsh. Subs: I. Newton, A. Clarke, Soye