GEOFF Butler again showed his managerial pedigree by leading his patched-up Bashley side to a 1-1 draw at play-off chasing Metropolitan Police on Saturday.

In fact, the Foresters - leading by a 69th-minute Richard Gillespie, pictured, goal - were looking odds on for victory until Kevin Cooper popped up with a timely 89th-minute equaliser.

Even by Butler's 'Geoff'll fix it' standards, this was no mean result.

He smiled: "I hadn't even met three of the players until training on Thursday night. We had Sam Wyeth and Barry Mason from Eastleigh and Jon Gittens (ex-Saint) brought along a different lad to the one he'd originally recommended to us - a wide player called Luke Allen.

"The lad didn't think he should start because he hadn't played all season, but I told him he was playing and he got through 90 minutes. He's a nice footballer, but way short of match fitness."

Gillespie's goal - his 33rd of the campaign - was described by Butler as "our best of the season."

Chris Knowles conjured up a cross at the end of a sweet passing move and the 20-year-old Romsey lad caught it beautifully with a side-foot volley.

Butler said: "We rode our luck at the start of the second half when Met Police missed two good chances, but then ten minutes from time Chris Knowles had a great shot which the keeper saved well to stop us going two up.

"Met Police are a massive side. Our only player who came anywhere near them height-wise was Matt Parnell but Gillespie and Mason are both pacy and we were too quick for their defenders."

Newport IoW's John Linington couldn't agree with Butler's assessment last week that Dorking are probably the poorest side in the league.

The Island boss returned home a satisfied man after a 2-2 draw in Surrey.

He said: "Unlike Geoff, I thought they were a good side. They've got two or three players from AFC Wimbledon, another from Kingstonian and one from Staines. They're a very physical side and really roughed us up. All in all, I was very happy with a point." New signing James Dunk was the first feel Dorking's force, having his head cut open by an elbow with just three minutes gone.

Olamide Dedegbe also took a battering but Newport kept their cool to go ahead with a cracking 25-yard strike by Dave Greening on seven minutes - his 16th goal of the season.

Two minutes later Greening could have had another, set up by Dunk, but the keeper saved with his feet and it was Dorking who seized the initiative with a Craig Duffell penalty - awarded against Luke Forrest - and a second from Stewart Vaughan.

Greening hit the woodwork twice in the second half for Newport and they deservedly equalised on 83 minutes when manager-in-waiting Steve Leigh flicked the ball up and volleyed into the top corner.

Newport remain third to bottom, just a point behind 18th-placed Fleet who slipped up 1-0 at home to Croydon Athletic.

The north Hampshire side were beaten by a 28th-minute James Greenaway goal and, to add injury to insult, lost ex-England midfielder Andy Sinton to a shoulder injury.