Somerset Eagles 3

Dandy Town 3

Treadwell Gibbons Jnr had a nightmare in the Dandy Town goal as a shocking defensive display handed Somerset Eagles a share of the spoils in a six-goal thriller at St John's Field.

Gibbons treated Eagles to their first point of the season with two Halloween howlers that let the visiting team level twice, and although Town will complain bitterly about two efforts that were ruled out for offside, in truth they got what they deserved.

With both sides aware of the importance of the match the game got off to a flyer, and Town looked to have made the perfect start when Damon Ming put the ball in the net with little more than a minute played.

His joy was short-lived however as the effort was ruled out for offside.

A frantic period of play followed until midway through the half when Lashun Dill worked same space down the wing, sent in a teasing cross, and midfielder Jamel Swan launched himself at the ball on the back post to score with a spectacular diving header.

The lead lasted less than 15 minutes and with the problems that Shakir Smith and Darin Dowling were causing the Town back four it seemed only a matter of time before Eagles would equalise.

Gibbons and defender Fabian Frankson were equally culpable for letting the visiting team back into the match. Frankson was caught in possession deep in his own half, Gibbons then dropped the resulting cross, and Troy Tucker gleefully smacked the ball into the net to draw his side level.

As quickly as Eagles fans were celebrating the equaliser and gaining belief in getting a result, they were soon scratching their heads as they watched their side give Raymond Beach acres of space to sidefoot home from close range just three minutes later.

A goal up at the break, Town should have killed off the bottom club, but instead Gibbons made his second mistake of the match, and Eagles were level less than five minutes after the re-start.

The Town goalkeeper spent too long on the ball inside his own penalty area, lost possession, and in the mad scramble that followed, Adolphus Lambert crashed the ball home to drag his side back into the game.

And it was Lambert eight minutes later who would reward his side's resolve and hard work when he was in the right place at the right time for his second and his team's third of the afternoon, putting Eagles ahead for the first time.

Fittingly it was a defensive mistake from Somerset that allowed Town back into a game they seemed determined to lose.