PETER JACKSON put his experience to good use to steer Town to a 1-1 draw in a tricky FA Cup first round tie at Telford United.

Near waterlogged conditions at the Conference club's Buck Head ground made the match a lottery, and Town's task became tougher after the 18th-minute dismissal of striker Iffy Onuora.

He saw red as the men from the Midlands celebrated their equaliser, Marcus Bignot netting from a corner disputed a little too hotly for the liking of Bootle referee George Cain.

Things had started well for Town, with Rodney Rowe putting them ahead after just four minutes.

Fellow frontman Iwan Roberts, whose proposed £300,000 move to Coventry had been put on ice, picked up a poor clearance by goalkeeper Darren Acton and teed up his teammate.

Rowe held his nerve to skip around a couple of would-be tacklers and score with an angled shot.

Visiting fans in a 2,257 crowd hoped their side would go on to dominate, but it didn't pan out like that as George Foster's Telford belied their lowly position in the Conference table.

They fought back strongly, and for a spell after Onuora's dismissal, Neil Warnock's men looked more than a touch shaky.

But skipper Jackson and experienced midfield man Phil Robinson stamped a calming influence, and there was only one moment when Telford looked to have made the big breakthrough.

That was on 58 minutes, when Colin Taylor broke clear down the right and drilled in a low cross which found Mark Whitehouse unmarked six yards out.

He met the ball with a terrific volley, but keeper Steve Francis somehow got across to push the effort against his right-hand post, and Simon Trevitt completed the clear-up operation.

Only a minute earlier, Town had been denied what seemed a blatant penalty when Rowe was hauled to the ground by the troubled Nigel Niblett, but there was no joy from Cain.

Rowe's pace was always the most potent threat for Town, who started with three up front.

He was denied on 62 minutes, then Acton pounced to deny Robinson after Rowe's neat piece of play.

Trevitt looked on in frustration as a long-range effort skimmed the top of the bar, while at the other end, the alert Francis smothered a last-gasp effort by Dave Pritchard.

While Warnock's men deservedly sealed a replay (which they won 1-0 with a Jackson goal) West Brom weren't so fortunate.

They came unstuck at Halifax, who had been relegated from the Football League six months earlier but showed there was still life at The Shay by winning 2-1 in front of the Sky cameras.

Former Town midfielders Kieran O'Regan - later to help Halifax get back into the League - and Kevin Donovan featured in an Albion side which boss Keith Burkinshaw admitted were unable to cope with the Conference team's `direct' tactics.

Jason Peake sidefooted home in the sixth minute and Steve Saunders slotted in a shot nine minutes before the break.

Andy Hunt pulled one back with an 80th-minute header, but Peter Wragg's Halifax, roared on by a 4,250 crowd, held out for a fine victory.