CHRIS Lucas’s timely intervention ensured honours would finish even in the Bank Holiday derby between Bashley and Poppies at Bashley Road yesterday.

The Bashley defender cleared off the line after Dave Ewen had looked destined to settle the contest in favour of the visitors with a venomous strike in stoppage time.

It was the last in a long line of presentable chances fashioned by both teams as rival goalkeepers Joe Prodomo and Nick Thomas took centre stage in an entertaining stalemate.

Prodomo came to Bashley’s rescue when he saved bravely at the feet of Ewen and Sami Makhloufi after they had both gone through one-on-one inside the opening 12 minutes.

And Thomas did likewise for Poppies, the stopper pulling off smart reaction saves to keep out stinging efforts from Jack Hoey and new signing Harry McGrath in the early stages in front of a crowd of more than 200 at Bashley’s New Forest headquarters.

Former Poppies striker Kabba Jack ballooned over the crossbar a gilt-edged opportunity to draw first blood for Bash before Ewen was again thwarted by Prodomo, the goalkeeper making another excellent save on the stroke of half-time.

If Poppies had enjoyed the better of the first half, Bash certainly made most of the running in the second with Thomas denying Jack after he had raced clear on goal.

Thomas also blocked a fierce drive from Hoey as the hosts began to assert.

Jack’s near-post glancing header flashed across the face of the goalmouth late on before Lucas earned Bash a deserved share of the spoils thanks to his dramatic exploits in the closing stages of an end-to-end second period.