ANDY RITCHIE left the Galpharm a happy man after watching a key quartet of players return smoothly to action in the goalless draw with West Brom.

Fans in a crowd of 179 got a first enticing glimpse of summer signing Robbie Williams – who not only played well but went within an ace of winning it with a cracking free-kick touched onto the bar.

Skipper Jon Worthington looked much more like his old self after recovering from hernia surgery and there were pleasing run-outs for goalkeeper Simon Eastwood and wingman Chris Brandon, who could go straight into the first-team reckoning.

That’s great news for Ritchie, who enthused: “I was happy for all of them but especially Robbie and Worthy because it’s like having two new players added to the squad.

“That will be three when Tom Clarke gets back in a couple of weeks, so it’s all good news.

“Robbie has come through fine and he would have had a goal if the keeper hadn’t made a good save, while I don’t think we’ve seen Worthy move so freely in all the time I’ve been here.

“He looked sharp, he got to people and he was able to close them down – and we haven’t been able to see that before.”

The directors’ box for the match was a who’s who of former Town staff with new Lincoln and Port Vale managers Peter Jackson and Lee Sinnott, Carlisle scout Dennis Booth and ex-Leeds Road players Peter Ward and Gary Worthington among those looking on.

They saw an intriguing Pontin’s Holidays League Central Division contest in which both sides played some attractive football and shared decent chances to take the spoils.

Matt Young was unlucky to have a seventh-minute header ruled out after Brandon had been adjudged to have crossed from beyond the goalline, while Dave Heagney headed over from Danny Racchi’s 39th-minute cross when it seemed easier to score.

With Williams sharp and solid at left-back, Shane Killock impressive at the back and Worthington influential in midfield, West Brom had to rely on the long-range shots of Jack Compton for their first-half threat, but Eastwood was not found wanting on his first appearance since September.

In the second half it was David Worrall, the 17-year-old midfielder snapped up for £50,000 from Bury in March, who looked like flooring Town with a clever volley against the bar on 55 minutes and a deep cross for Joshua Knight from which Eastwood did brilliantly to parry a close-range header.

Moments later, Compton was inches away with another rasping 30-yarder, but Williams soon had Town’s supporters warming their hands when, from a 68th-minute free-kick 25 yards out, he forced keeper Luke Steele to fingertip the ball onto the bar.

Worthington was also close to scoring with a shot so fierce that it struck Steele before he could even react, and Luke Malcher was unfortunate to be flagged offside when tucking away the rebound.

The only drama after that was when Spencer Harris – who caught the eye as Town’s substitute right-back – cleared Scott Mason’s header off the line six minutes from time and a point apiece was the right result.

Town – Eastwood, Racchi (Harris 63), Williams, Bailey, Killock, Berrett, Young, Worthington, Heagney (Brook 73), Malcher, Brandon. Subs not used: Durham, Smithies, Roberts.