MORWELL Pegasus reached the 20-point “safety zone” on Saturday but failed to put away State League Division Two south-east bottom side Doveton SC in a disconsolate draw away from home.
Morwell led 2-1 at the break but conceded a second half goal to ex-Pegasus player Jack Dover on the rebound and departed Waratah Reserve with one competition point.
Max Etheridge squandered a pair of identical chances late in the piece when he twice blazed over the bar on the back of pinpoint Steve Maselli through balls, leaving a desperate Doveton in with a chance of avoiding relegation.
Marquee midfielder Marquin Smith was suspended for the match, leaving a gulf in the centre of the park, and Paul Byrne returned to the starting team.
Pegasus looked promising early when Chris Wynne scored a second super goal in as many weeks.
Wynne danced past a pair of defenders and unleashed a clinical finish to give Pegasus the upper hand, before a booming ricochet rebounded for Simon Muir to sprint away and equalise for the home team.
Maselli restored the advantage when he broke away and scored from 20 metres out and Pegasus went to the break 2-1 up.
Dover restored the balance after half-time, and while both teams had late chances, neither could provide the finish required for the three points.
Pegasus coach Dale White said a draw was acceptable but 20 points may not be enough to avoid relegation with four rounds remaining.
“You take a point… I’m not panicking, I’ve got no doubt we’ll get two or three wins. I still think we need a win (to be safe),” he said.
“I was disappointed we didn’t get the three but I thought they weren’t that bad.
“We just seemed to struggle in the second half; it was quite windy and blustery and they were quite desperate.”
Smith will be available this week when Pegasus returns home to face Kingston City, and was sorely missed at the weekend.
“Marquin Smith was a big miss to us… I really thought we had enough to get over the line and we probably should have won the game, but they fought to the death because they’re bottom and they need to get a win,” White said.
Mid table Kingston thrashed Morwell 7-1 earlier this season when the side was struggling, and White was keen for revenge at home.
