Before reverting to their normal 4-4-2 formation on the hour, with the introduction of a fifty per cent fit Richie Foran, Carlisle had virtually conceded the play allowing Boston to dominate for long spells.

But the couldn’t find a way past a resolute Carlisle back four and when they were breached Matty Glennon was on hand to produce another man of the match performance.

For all Boston’s huff and puff, they lacked the quality where it really mattered and if Foran and Stuart Green had done better with chances late on it might have been the smash and grab raid of the season.

Manager Roddy Collins welcomed the point and said: “We could have opened the game up and maybe have won it. But the most important thing when you come to somewhere like Boston with a game of this importance is not to lose and I’m happy with the outcome. It would have been a bonus to win the game but they had some good chances. We played a counter attacking game and broke well but our final pass was poor. The players showed they have the capability to concentrate and it was good to keep another clean sheet at this stage of the season.

“It was a swirling wind and it was really difficult for all the players and the surface wasn’t conducive to good football. But we go back with the point we had at the start and that’s a good result.”

Boston started with the advantage of a strong wind at their backs and Simon Weatherstone’s left wing cross was headed narrowly wide by Stuart Balmer with eight minutes gone.

With Carlisle content to soak up the Boston pressure chances were coming a little too regularly. Mark Angel fired wide from a Stuart Douglas layoff and when another Angel shot was blocked by Mark Birch, Richard Logan failed to get any power on the loose ball allowing Glennon an easy save.

In a rare foray forward Stuart Green did have a half chance for Carlisle but pulled his shot high and wide.

Glennon saved from Douglas and then combined with Darren Kelly to block a certain goal from Logan.

It was all Boston at this stage but Mark Hudson saw a snap shot from 20 yards go narrowly wide before Douglas headed wide from another pinpoint Weatherstone cross.

Carlisle’s best chance of the half fell to Jon McCarthy but his free header from Green’s free kick lacked sufficient power to trouble Paul Bastock.

The introduction of Peter Duffield for Logan at half time almost brought a goal within three minutes and Glennon was relieved to see the ball rebound straight into his arms after Duffield rattled the bottom of the post.

Neil Readfern went close, firing over from an Angel corner before Green sliced a shot wide from a good position after a great run from his own half by Adam Rundle.

Angel then went close twice for Boston, Glennon saving his first effort and the second narrowly missing the angle of post and bar.

The introduction of Foran for Hudson gave Boston a little more to think about but he was unable to beat Bostock with a 72nd minute chance, the Boston keeper saving low to his right.

With time running out Glennon made a stunning save from Douglas to preserve a clean sheet and the precious point they had earned.