COLNE almost had a dream start when, straight from the kick-off, Steve Cunningham and Anthony Murt combined to play in Liam Garbutt, but having beaten the keeper, his lob bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Murt suffered a similar misfortune a little later when he beat the off-side trap, but this time his lob went just over the bar.

Then, on the half hour mark, Ted Cockett played in Murt who squared the ball to Garbutt who somehow fired over from just three yards.

But a minute later Colne took a deserved lead when Ronnie Wright's free kick was helped on by Kieron Roberts to Michael Cruz who glanced home into the near corner.

Colne kept up the pressure in the second half, but they were denied by a great display from Joe Molloy in the Abbey goal, who produced two excellent saves from Murt and Andy Haworth after good work from Gareth Hargreaves.