Hotels remain in business for at least another couple of weeks after Dion Wainwright's last-minute equaliser climaxed a dramatic finale to last night's First Division match at Devonshire Rec.

Wainwright, about eight yards out, reacted quickest to Chris Sabir's mis-hit shot through a crowd of players, turning it past the off-balance Nyon Steede in the Village goal.

The point puts them level on 14 with Devonshire Cougars and Somerset and two points ahead of bottom-placed PHC who they face in a crunch match on Sunday.

It was a huge boost for Hotels who had been forced to play the last five minutes with just ten men after Michael Holdipp, a 57th minute substitute for the injured Walter Crockwell, was red carded for a tackle on Kaison Dill.

Dreadful though it was -- you could hear the crack of boot on bone from up in the stands -- Dill did not help Holdipp's cause by theatrically rolling around in front of his own bench as if hit by sniper fire before suddenly leaping up and carrying on his way none the worse for wear.

Moments earlier Hotels had had strong appeals for a penalty turned down. Craig Crichlow's cross definitely made contact with a North Village hand after neat build up work by Marlon Lindsay and Dennis Robinson and the referee's assistant seemed to flag half-heartedly.

But referee Eston Curtis either didn't spot the movement or decided the infringement was a case of ball hitting hand rather than the other way round and waved play on.

Village, who started the game with an outside chance of the championship, took the lead in the 61st minute. Kevin Jennings twice charged down clearance attempts and found himself 16 yards out with a clear shot at goal. He needed no second invitation and slotted home clinically past the diving Stefan Dupres.

Dupres in fact had been in fine form in the early stages of the match as Village made the better chances.

In the eight minute he made two breathtaking saves within a couple of seconds, first spectacularly parrying Jamel Smith's shot before moving quickly to block Dill's follow-up.

But it was not all Village. Hotels, showing a certain attacking intent following their four-goal burst against Boulevard on Tuesday, forced seven corners in the first half. Sabir's inswinging efforts from the right in particular put Steede under a fair amount of pressure as Hotels' big men moved in for the kill.