Manager Dan Flack felt there was a 'bitter-sweet' outcome for his Bourne Town side as they shared the spoils with Barwell in the Northern Premier League on Saturday.

The Bourne boss was disappointed with the goals his side conceded as they found themselves 2-0 adrift in the Midlands Division match at the JJ Mac Stadium.

However, he was pleased with the character his side showed to battle back to earn a draw against a visiting side who eventually finished the match with nine men.

Flack said: "The feeling was really bitter-sweet afterwards.

"On one hand, we've come back from 2-0 down and shown some real character to take a point on the back of our last three results but we've given away another two poor goals which is something we've got to stop doing.

"I wouldn't say I was happy with a point but we've got to take the positives from it, because after being 2-0 down, we could have quite easily folded but we didn't.

"We kept going and kept creating chances because Barwell defended well and throwing their bodies at it."

Bourne had fallen behind after just three minutes of their first home Saturday league match of the season when Jack Storer fired the Leicestershire visitors ahead.

The Wakes came close to responding with a header from Michael Bostwick that hit the crossbar while Zac Allen and Dan Forbes were both off target with efforts.

The visitors then had Deen Master sent off in first half stoppage time for dangerous play as he wildly tried to clear the ball when under pressure from Connor Furey.

However, Barwell bagged their second goal 11 minutes after the break when a loose ball was poked into the path Shay Willock who raced clear before slipping his finish past goalkeeper Will Lakin.

Bourne halved the deficit just past the hour mark when Forbes forced the ball into the path of Allen who netted from close range.

Goalkeeper Lakin then produced a superb fingertip save to deny the visitors while Storer also squandered another good chance to restore his side's two-goal advantage.

Bourne piled on the pressure in the latter stages with Forbes seeing an effort well saved while a series of last-ditch defensive blocks kept the home side at bay.

Robbie Ellis headed just wide from a corner before he eventually marked his return from injury with the equaliser in the 88th minute following a set piece.

Willock then collected his second caution in injury-time for dissent to leave the visitors to play out the rest of the game with nine men.

Josh Randall fired a shot over for Bourne who then had a late appeal for a penalty turned down when Lewis Darlington appeared to be hauled down ahead of Ellis seeing an effort blocked on the line as the winning goal proved elusive for the Wakes.

Flack added: "After we got the first goal back, I thought we would go on and win it and arguably I felt we should have had a penalty right at the end.

"Darlo has controlled the ball and their player has just yanked him to the ground which, to me, is a penalty but it would have been a big decision for the referee to give."

Bourne - who have brought Callum Milne back to the club following spells this season with St Ives and Corby Town - are at home again on Tuesday night when they host mid-table Mickleover before hosting Banbury United on Saturday in the FA Trophy.