There was to be last minute drama for the second home game running, but this time it was Kings who were on the end of the sucker punch as Tiverton took a share of the points with a last minute strike. Another colourful week at the Club had seen Kings agree to the transfer of Roddy Collins to Chesham United and the loss of the services of Kyle Connolly for family reasons. Long suffering manager Chris Cummins made the bold decision to switch to a 3-4-1-2 formation and included new Stevenage loanee Sam Dreyer as one of 5 teenagers in the line-up.

Youthful exuberance was evident as an Alfie Williams free kick was glanced away for a corner and an Edu header skimmed the bar in the opening minutes, while a Dan Hayfield shot was just past the post at the other end. As a depressing drizzle set in, both sides lit up the park with some quickfire interpassing football as the game flowed from end to end, but chances were few, namely a Chris Shephard shot mid-half, held by Alfie Marriott.

By the time the contest entered its last five minutes, the interest of the crowd had switched to the performance of the referee, who took leniency to a new level as an edge crept into the proceedings. The players wrested the interest back as Edu headed just over, Alfie Marriott saved point blank from Matt Wright and Jack Wood netted, but Jamie Jellis was ruled to have crossed the line in delivering the centre.

Unaware of the goal fest that awaited them, the crowd reacted to a superb clearance off the line by Tivvy’s Craig Woodman and a Gary Warren shot inches over, but Kings forward three were knocking on the door and forced it open when Harry Crawford slipped a through ball to Jack Wood. Under pressure, the youngster beat Lewis Williams to it by inches to slide the ball home and three minutes later he was central to a bizarre incident that was to double the lead. Another forward pass set him on a central run that left Warren trailing in his wake, whereupon the defender, no doubt encouraged by the aforementioned leniency, brought him down with a tackle round the waist that would have graced any rugby field. Harry Crawford took no chances on a penalty decision and slotted home the loose ball to double the advantage while the miscreant escaped any punishment.

The visitors signified that there was more to come when Alfie Marriott made an uncharacteristic fumble to allow Chris Shephard to reduce the deficit with a quarter of an hour to go, but Kings seemingly put the game to bed when Sam Dreyer stabbed home an Alfie Williams corner. And that’s how it stayed until six minutes from time when a defence that had seemed solid, suddenly looked vulnerable as Tivvy mounted a spirited comeback, inspired by a Theo Simpson goal and capped by a 90th minute equaliser by Dan Haywood’s shot through a crowded box.