LUFFS 2 PILKINGTON 2 (30/8/03) LOUGHBOROUGH came back twice on Saturday to take a share of the points but it still looked like two points dropped as they failed to raise their game sufficiently to beat an ordinary Pilkington side. Manager Tebbutt will look ruefully at the defensive part of his side, the team has scored enough goals to be second in the league but have conceded enough goals to be bottom, as it is they sit in fifth place. Having conceded at least two gaols in every game including the pre season friendlies it was no surprise that after five minutes The Luffs defence was caught square and Deeming strolled through to hoist the ball over stranded keeper Paul Springthorpe. From then on Loughborough were chasing the game even so Carl Springthorpe headed one off the line and Bates went clear to force a good save from Paul Springthorpe. But it wasn't long before The Luffs levelled the scores with new Scottish signing George Jones picking his way through the Pilkington defence and finding the bottom corner. One of Loughborough's other new signings Adam Barrigan should have put Loughborough ahead, clear through but the Liverpool lads shot went straight into Leech's hands. Before the half time break Pilkington were back in the lead as centre back Carl Springthorpe was the victim of a bad bounce and headed into the path of Pilkington's Bates who hoisted the ball over the keepers head. For a while Loughborough looked pretty awful, unable to string more than two passes together but by the time the referee blew for half time they had got back into their stride and when Jones and Gunn combined keeper Leech was at full stretch to save. Loughborough came out well in the second half and Gunn strode through the Pilkington defence to force a save from the now overworked Leech. It took twenty minutes but Jones delivered the corner and Pearson levelled the scores at 2-2. The Jones Pearson combination very nearly brought the winner but the back post effort went just wide and Gunn saw his header cleared off the line and Fairey went close with the re bound, Pilkington had settled for a draw and Loughborough were hunting for a win. In the end it was a disappointing result for The Luffs, the extra two points could have pushed them up to second place but time ran out and the points were shared. This Saturday Loughborough are back on the road to the Birmingham side Hansaker currently sitting in second place (Kick off 2.45) as they put all the troubles of the club off the field behind and them and resume the search for league points. TEAM:  Paul SPRINGTHORPE, George JONES, Danny BRAILSFORD, Carl SPRINGTHORPE, Nick FAIREY, Mark EDWARDS, Gareth ROGERS, Adam BARRIGAN, Paul GUNN, Chris PEARSON, Adam LOCKER SUBS:  Craig DAWSON, Matt WATKISS, Kris RICHARDSON SCORERS:  George JONES, Chris PEARSON ATT: N/A HT: 2-1