DOM Ballard scored twice but Saints B failed to take all three points from their Premier League 2 clash at Middlesbrough, following a 2-2 draw.

Dave Horseman named a strong side despite recent deals taking many of his starters, including Ryan Finnigan, away on loan for the rest of the campaign.

Only Jimmy-Jay Morgan was a notable absentee with the possibility the 17-year-old could be joining Nathan Jones’s first-team charges for their FA Cup match with Blackpool on Saturday.

It saw Lewis Payne, Kami Doyle and Ballard start and it was the latter two who linked up for the opening goal with a left-footed shot inside just three minutes.

Boro captain Calum Kavanagh levelled the scores 180 seconds later with an angled effort into Oliver Wright’s – the goalkeeper who has been training with the first-team on matchdays – near-post.

Luke Pearce and Sam Amo-Ameyaw had shots saved but Ballard, receiving from Doyle once again, finished with his other foot after 18 minutes to restore the lead.

Boro’s equaliser came on the hour-mark and neither side did enough to seal all three points, but Horseman’s side remain top of the division.

They lead Leeds United by one point after the Whites were beaten by Norwich City, with both teams having played 12 of their 20 matches.

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