Alton produced a brilliant comeback from two goals down with six minutes left to snatch a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Fleet Town on December 16.

The Brewers fell behind in the 16th minute. After giving the ball away in midfield and not clearing it for a throw-in, they conceded a corner on their left. Poor defending in the six-yard box gave Fleet a chance, which was cleared off the line, but Liam Avery bundled in the rebound at the far post.

In the 26th minute a right-footed cross from the left was headed in by Fleet’s Ollie Burke at the far post, but he was offside.

Three minutes into stoppage time Fleet’s left-winger outpaced the Alton defence and played a square ball which Burke steered into an empty net, but the man playing the pass was offside.

Ninety seconds after the restart the ball floated one way and then the other across the edge of the Alton box before Fleet captain Joe Dyett drilled a low right-foot shot into the centre of Adam Melville’s goal.

Two substitutions with 13 minutes to go changed the game. Fleet replaced Burke with Lewis Pearch, to the relief of the Alton defence, while the Brewers brought on Zak Nash for Joshua Stepney.

In the 84th minute Nash hit a powerful 25-yard right-foot shot that was saved but not held by Fleet keeper Sam Gray. Matthew Benham was fouled as he attempted to pounce on the rebound and Alex Macallister stepped up to bury his right-footed penalty into the bottom right corner.

Two minutes into stoppage time Fleet committed a foul 25 yards out in line with the left edge of the box, and Nash bent a right-footed free kick into the bottom left corner for the equaliser.

Alton manager Kev Adair said: “We started well but went off the boil and lost our grip of the game for 30 minutes, making three errors for the goal.

“The last ten minutes of the first half were good and we had a very positive chat at the interval, then it all went out of the window straight after the break.

“At 1-0 we were in the game but 2-0 was really difficult against a top side. Normally if we go two behind we struggle to get back into games. It didn’t bode well, so from 2-0 down it was a really good point.”