Wimborne Town and Portishead Town played out a 0:0 draw in the first round qualifying of the FA Cup on Saturday. The match ended without either side finding the back of the net.
To be fair, both teams came into this fixture with mixed recent form. Wimborne had won two and drawn one of their last five, while Portishead's record was far more volatile — five games, five different scorelines, and plenty of goals flowing both ways.
And here's the thing about a result like this: it feels like a tactical stalemate rather than a case of poor finishing. Neither side could break the other down, and the match was decided by three or four moments that never quite materialised.
Portishead's recent results suggest they can spring a surprise on any day. They've been involved in some high-scoring affairs — 2:6 against Slimbridge, 4:3 at Windsor and Eton — but that attacking looseness doesn't always translate into away fixtures of this nature.
Wimborne have been steadier, with a 2:0 win over Weymouth and a 1:0 victory against Portchester in their more recent outings. But Saturday's result means they'll need to find something more if they want to progress further in the competition.