However, against one of the league's strugglers it was not the performance that manager Rod Stringer would have wanted.

The home side battled hard, got men behind the ball and, under the direction of former Aveley boss Steve Browne, were determined not to give anything away cheaply.

Millers, playing in a borrowed yellow Gillingham strip because of a colour clash, made a bright start and had two good early shouts for penalties turned down.

The first came after just four minutes when Joao Carlos played in Wayne Vaughan, who looked to be upended and eight minutes later former Aveley player Sam Adejokun appeared to handle the ball in the box but the referee, who was to have an increasing presence with fussy officiating in the later stages of the match, was having none of the visitors’ appeals.

Potters Bar began to get into the game and Aaron Freeman was unlucky when his shot was deflected wide by Sean Francis and soon after Serge Makafo inked his way through, only to shoot wide.

Aveley took the lead after 24 minutes when John Maskell played a ball forward and when defender Theo Daniels tried to head it back to his keeper Ashlee Jones, Joel Barnett was alert enough to nip in and bundle the ball home at the second attempt after his first effort came back off Jones.

Potters Bar might have equalised a minute later when Marcel McKie’s cross found Makafo but he headed wide. At the other end Carlos, who always looked dangerous when he was given the ball - though he saw took little of it for many supporters’ liking – picked up a pass from Garry Skerritt but he shot wide.

It was costly miss as the home side were level within a minute, McKie heading home Makafo’s corner.

The second half was increasingly stagnant, particularly as the referee imposed a ‘stop go’ approach to his officiating.

Chances were few and far between, though on 53 minutes Hector Mackie raised home hopes with a cross that Gale met with a diving header that went just over the bar. On 69 minutes Carlos again did well, setting up Skerrit whose shot was blocked.

Bar’s Sean Bennett-Jones went close a few minutes later and there was late drama when Aveley newcomer Obi Nene and Skerritt both almost forced the ball home in a hectic goalmouth scramble.

However, a winner wasn’t to be forthcoming and while the point was probably welcomed by both sides in the circumstances, Aveley will hope it doesn’t turn out to be two vital points lost at the end of the season.

Aveley: James Marrable, Ryan Doyle, Sam Holloway, Kristian Wheeler, John Maskell, Sean Francis, Ben Bradbury (Bradley Barnes 74), Garry Skerritt, Joel Barnett (Matt Johnson 62), Wayne Vaughan (Obi Nene 55), Joao Carlos.