Luke Rowe returned to haunt his former club, as the new Bucks skipper popped up with a late equaliser to earn Kevin Wilkin’s men a point at Victoria Road.

The first half was an attritional affair in which both sides largely cancelled each other out. Max Brogan went close for the Bucks with a well-struck freekick, while Sporting threatened from set plays.

The first major chance of the game came in the 42nd minute, when former Buck Reece Styche beat the offside and found himself one-on-one with Brandon Hall. The Bucks keeper did well to take the sting out of Styche’s initial effort, but with the ball continuing towards goal, Jahdahn Fridye-Harper somehow managed get back and hook it off Styche’s toe and away to safety. That near-miraculous piece of defending meant that the sides went in goalless at the break.

The Bucks began the second half well, and looked more confident on the ball. Brogan hit a shot just wide of the post, but Charlie Price in the Bromsgrove goal didn’t have all that much to do.

As the game wore on, the hosts started findng space behind the Bucks backline. Brandon Hall made a fantastic triple save in the 70th minute to keep out Jamie Meddows and Fin Holmes (twice), but the hosts were ahead shortly afterwards. Jack Newall, fresh from the bench, found himself unmarked in the Bucks’ box to turn home a cross from the right wing with his first touch after coming on.

Newall almost made it 2-0 moments later, but his shot whistled just wide of the post. The Bucks then started to press for an equaliser, which eventually came in the 87th minute. Jordan Cranston whipped in a freekick from the left-hand corner of the penalty area, and Luke Rowe powered a home from five yards out.

Both sides looked to win it late on, but the game finished 1-1. A point was probably a fair result, although it was the hosts who had the better chances.