A depleted Dandy Town side marked the return of floodlit top-flight soccer to St. John's Field with a thrilling victory on Saturday night in a league match played like a full-blooded cup tie.

Two of the five goals enjoyed by a large crowd were outrageous opportunist strikes in the first Premier Division night game at Town's home ground since floodlight improvements.

The home side were two-up by half-time, thanks to goals by Paul Cann and Reggie Tucker. But Wolves came storming back and by 10 minutes after the restart goals from Nathan Webb and Anthony Thomas had pulled them level.

Town's Lionel Furbert had the last say, netting the 71st-minute winner with a solid half-volley from close range after Heys Wolffe's right-wing corner had been flicked on at ther near post by Tucker.

Cann's opening goal after 27 minutes was the pick of the bunch. A punt forward was headed up into the air by Wolves defender Cory Smith around 30 yards from goal. Before the ball hit the ground, Cann struck an acrobatic right-footed volley which looped high over stranded Wolves keeper Hewvonne Brown and into the net.

"We've been telling Paul to have a go himself when he gets into goal-scoring postions because he often tries to set something up for someone else,'' said Town coach Mark Trott. "He took his goal really well.'' Trott was delighted with his side for coping so well in the absence of players like Darron Simons, Devarr Boyles, Carlos Smith, Jahmiko Marshall and Lloyd Christopher.

"I have not been able to put out the same team twice but these players have shown character, commitment and heart and I'm proud of them,'' said Trott.

"Reggie Tucker was playing injured because we were so short of bodies. He has a badly bruised foot arch and was advised not to play.'' Tucker netted Town's second in first-half injury time, when he followed up to crash home the loose ball after Cann had run onto Raymond Beach's deft through ball and Brown had saved.

Wolves had paid for missed chances by Mark Ray and Anthony Thomas in the opening period. But they pulled one back in the 52nd minute when Ray's quickly taken free kick caught Town defenders out of position, giving Thomas room to cross for Nathan Webb to side-foot home.

Three minutes later, it was 2-2. Substitute Jared Peniston swung over a free kick from the left well behind Thomas, but the midfielder stretched to hit an amazing volley backwards over his head and into the top right-hand corner of the net.

After Furbert's strike, Beach almost made it safe for Town, but headed just over from Cann's superb left-wing cross.

Wolves almost equalised again four minutes from time when Ray controlled a poor goal kick by Antoine Lightbourne on his chest and fired it back over the Town keeper's head, but just over the crossbar too.

Although the win put Town back in the race to win the division, Trott revealed he was thinking more about avoiding the drop than winning the title.

"When we talk in the changing room, it's not about winning the championship, it's about not getting relegated, because the league is so tight,'' said Trott. "With three teams going down, every game is like knockout football now.'' Town: A. Lightbourne, D.Bailey, W.Rudo, C.Azhar, G.Gibbons, S.Tuzo (K.Martin 62 mins), L.Furbert, H.Wolffe, R.Tucker, P.Cann, R.Beach (K.Smith 82 mins).

Wolves: H.Brown, C.Smith, T.Trott, A.Thomas, J.Warren, T.Davis, C.Lopes (A.Davis 82 mins), Kee.Smith (F.Brewster 45 mins), S.Waldron (J.Peniston 45 mins), N.Webb, M.Ray.

Men of the match: Paul Cann (Town); Mark Ray (Wolves) Yellow cards: Tuzo, Tucker (Town); C.Smith (Wolves) Referee: George O'Brien