A first goal in PNE colours from David Amoo levelled things up in a one-sided game at the QED Stadium.
The former Liverpool frontman equalised shortly after Luke Atherton had opened the scoring for Brig without knowing a lot about it, their first foray into the North End box, in a game where PNE had more than 20 corners and shots apiece.
North End dominated the possession and chances in the opening half, with Nicky Wroe and David Buchanan pulling the strings the majority of the time.
It was a Wroe corner 12 minutes in that almost created the opener as his ball from the left was deep, finding David Amoo, who turned the ball back across the six yard box towards Chris Robertson, but it ricocheted off Luke Atherton and just wide.
North End’s corner count in the first period was in double figures and one of those on 15 minutes from former Tranmere man Buchanan was straight to Garaham Cummins at the back post, but he couldn’t manage to keep his volley down.
Completely against the run of play and with their first real foray into the North End penalty area the home side took the lead on 24 minutes.
Alistair Waddecar swung over a free kick from the left. It was flicked on off a North End head and just smashed into the midriff of Luke Atherton, who didn’t know a lot about it, but saw the ball roll past Jose Moreira into the net.
The lead didn’t last long, however, with normal service resuming and North End back on the attack and it was more excellent play by Buchanan, linking up well with Bailey Wright and Will Hayhurst on the left before lifting the ball to the back post where David Amoo headed into the top right hand corner from six yards out.
The one-way traffic continued with Chris Robertson headed yet another Buchanan corner kick wide of the right hand post and Nicky Wroe testing Dovey from 20 yards after Buchanan had fizzed the ball across the box from the left.
Graham Cummins brought the best out of the Bamber Bridge keeper with five minutes of the half remaining, spinning and turning 15 yards out, with Dovey at full stretch to tip the ball away from the top right hand corner.
On 54 minutes North End were denied a second as Nicky Wroe’s shot was somehow saved on the line by Dovery after Cummins’ left wing cross was dummied by Hayhurst and less than a minute later substitute Chris Beardsley volleyed over after Cummins had challenged the keeper to nod down for his strike partner.
A multititude of change disturbed the flow of the play just after the hour mark, but some skilful wing play by one of those changes, Jeffrey Monakana, brought about Beardsley’s second good chance to make it two with 15 minutes left as he beat Darren Green before drilled the ball across the six yard box, but the No.20 couldn’t keep the ball down.
A minute later and Dovey again kept his side in the game as two more subs combined, Scott Laird delivering a low cross from the left for Chris Holroyd to stoop low and head across the keeper, who stretched out his left hand to get fingertips on the ball and steer it away from the bottom corner, keeping the scored level and earning the Irongate side a creditable draw.
PNE Line-Up: Moreira (Pidgeley, 52), Robertson (Laird, 71), Huntington (Byrne, 52), Cansdell-Sherriff, Wright, Amoo (Keane, 62), Procter, Wroe (King, 62), Buchanan (Beardsley, 46), Hayhurst (Monakana, 62), Cummins (Holroyd, 71).
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
: 1,390Attendance