Cumbernauld United manager John Queen lamented his side's missed chance to open up a four-point gap on promotion rivals Shettleston.

The New Town outfit lead the East End side by a point going into Saturday's Super First Division clash at Greenfield.

And the 1-1 outcome only underlines the close proximity of the two team in the standings.

But Queen was adamant in his insistence afterwards that his United playing charges had passed up a glorious opportunity toput some clear blue water between his team and Shettleston.

He said: "The reaction of the guys in the dressing room at the final whistle was both heated and mixed with some guys claiming a point away from home against a side of Shettleston's stature is a decent result while a few others reckoned we should have won the game out of sight.

"Hand on heart, I'm firmly in the latter camp because while a blunder by their goalkeeper Stevie Hutchison has contributed to our only goal, he has more than redeemed himself with a hat-trick of astonishing reflex saves that have prevented certain scores.

"Neither should it be overlooked that all the near things were in and around the Shettleston penalty area because apart from Chrissy McCormick firing an angular shot straight at him late in the game, our goalkeeper Barry Fraser, has been all but idle.

"And don't get me talking about Shettleston's equaliser which was blatantly offside but somehow missed by the officials and we have paid the price for that."

After some initial sparring, United, aided by a gusting wind ,went on to territorially dominate first half proceedings.

Scott Murphy came close with two wonderfully executed volleys before Hutchison superbly parried away a header from towering centre-back Danny Boyle when he rose highest to meet a long throw in .

United frontman Gary Carroll then wastefully missed the target with a back post header, but the busy striker thought he had made amends approaching the interval when getting on the end of a Jim Steele cross just six yards out.

But he was denied by Hutchison, who stretched out a hand to miraculously deflect his downward header up and over the crossbar.

If the veteran shotstopper was the toast of team-mates during the interval, then it was a different story ten minutes into the resumption when he made a hash of gathering an audacious 30-yard Murphy free kick effort from way out on the left flank and whistler Alan McFadden awarded a goal on the say so of his stand side assistant who judged the ball to have crossed the line .

An enraged Hutchy, booked for his vehement protestations, insisted: "I've managed to scoop the ball away before it crosses the line and for the assistant to say otherwise from way out on the touchline just beggars belief."

Shettleston's instant response was a Scott Anson shot deflected just wide.

But they did get back on level terms minutes later when Rikky McIntosh, looking a yard offside, was allowed to run through on goal and he stayed on his feet despite a despairing Tony Fraser tackle to trundle a low shot past Fraser for 1-1.

Cumbernauld had loud penalty kick claims waved aside when Carrol was sent crashing and Hutchison parried a Boyle header at a corner kick but saved his best for last when producing a spectacular one-handed stop to keep out the big centre-back's point-blank header with 89 minutes on the clock.

Town gaffer Hugh Kelly admitted his side had rode their luck in saying: "A point is more than we deserved out there today so I'm both disappointed in our performance and mighty relieved that we did not get punished for being so out of sorts.

"The result is not a hammer blow to the promotion dreams of Cumbernauld or ourselves, however it will be warmly received by the other teams at the top of the table."

Super First frontrunners Pollok, overcame the handicap of a red carding for Mark McLennan to continue their seemingly relentless march to title honours with a 2-1 victory away to Largs Thistle thanks to Davie Winters and Kieron McAleenan goals while Gary Fleming renetting for the Ayrshiremen.

Up into second top spot are Rob Roy for whom returning striker Willie Sawyers was one of their marksmen along with Paul Finnigan and Thomas Collins in a 3-1 defeat of Ardeer Thistle.

At the other end of the table, frontman Chris Lennon helped himself to a hat trick as Thorniewood United fan out 3-0 winners in their crunch showdown with fellow basement strugglers Neilston.