BORO earned a draw with a last-gasp Steve Howson strike in the UniBond Division One North.

It looked like they were going to concede the psychological advantage before the two sides meet in the Lancashire Co-Operative Cup at the County Ground in Leyland next Tuesday.

Skelmersdale looked the side with all the ideas as they took the game by the scruff of the neck from the kick off.

And they richly deserved their goal when it came on the stroke of half time.

Adam Birchall shot into the crowded Boro penalty area following a corner, and Mark Houghton was the first to react and turn the ball home from close range.

Houghton and his strike partner Neil Robinson had already squandered several chances as Skelmersdale's neat passing had injury-ravaged Radcliffe on the ropes.

The best early chance fell to Robinson, who blasted over from three yards after Martin Crowder had beaten Boro right back Gary Sampson all ends up to put in a cross.

Houghton might have put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute from close range, but keeper Phil Priestley did well to block his shot while Craig Dawson cleared the danger.

Boro came more into the game after the break and Dawson was unlucky not to reach Owen Roberts' far post free kick with his head on 50 minutes.

Striker Howson then went close with shot from a tight angle two minutes later.

Mark Jones almost rounded off a Boro breakaway move in the 59th minute but his angled shot was deflected wide by United keeper Ryan McMahon.

From the resulting corner Dawson's header was cleared off the line by Birchall.

It looked like there was going to be no way through for Boro until Howson scrambled home the equaliser two minutes into injury time.