A series of missed chances cost Falmouth two points at Longcross on Saturday as the home side fought back in the second half to earn a share of the spoils.

Falmouth had all of the play for the first quarter of an hour with Mark Vercesi unlucky to see his powerful header from a corner, after just four minutes, strike the crossbar.

Then, a couple of minutes later, Liam Eddy hit a low cross in towards Ryan Fice from out on the right, but home keeper, Lewis Stainer just got his foot to the ball to knock it away. With 10 minutes gone, Eddy ran on to a high through ball from Dan Green, but with Richie Hammett breathing down his neck he lobbed it over the bar from 15 yards.

Shortly after this, the industrious Eddy sent over a good looping cross from the right, but Fice, under pressure, only managed to put his header over as well.

Dartmouth, having weathered the early onslaught, gradually started to put some moves of their own together and Rob Fricker made a good break on the right wing, but as he cut in towards goal Mark Hollands forced him to shoot early and Jason Chapman gathered the shot comfortably. At the other end, Stainer raced out of his goal quickly to thwart Eddy as he closed on to a good ball from Green and then the keeper blocked Green’s header after James Miller had picked him out with a good pass.

Ten minutes before the break, Miller played a lovely ball in to Eddy who in turn lifted it over the defence to Fice at the far post, but somehow he managed to head wide from inside the six-yard box.

Dartmouth brought on Kevin Causley to replace Jake Ellis at the start of the second half and he was immediately involved in the action hitting a rising shot from 10 yards which James Greet, playing his first game of the season for Town, headed off the line with Chapman beaten.

Falmouth took the lead after 52 minutes when a mix-up between Dartmouth defender Richie Hammett and his keeper saw Fice nip in between them to prod the ball into the back of the net from 10 yards. Dartmouth bounced back from this and Causley hit a stinging shot that Chapman only partially blocked, but luckily Greet was on hand to kick the ball away as it rolled towards the goal line.

The home side drew level after 60 minutes following a corner on the left from Stuart Rickard. Causley rose unchallenged to power a header past Chapman and into the net.

Falmouth went back on the attack and Miller cut the ball back to Eddy who fired a shot in, but the keeper managed to tip the ball up onto the crossbar and out for a corner. Town regained the lead after 69 minutes. Eddy and Holland combined well on the right before putting over a cross which was met by Miller who threw himself forward to score with a fine diving header for his first goal for Falmouth.

Both sides made substitutions during this spell with Town bringing on Josh Sims and Andy Westgarth in place of Ross Pope and Eddy. Dartmouth brought on Jordan Havlin and Lee Hammett. The home side drew level again ten minutes from the end when following a corner, Causley chipped the ball over everyone from just inside the area and it flew into the net. After 83 minutes Fice appeared to be up-ended just inside the penalty area, but much to everyone’s surprise referee Haywood awarded Dartmouth a free-kick.

Fice challenged this decision too fiercely and was shown a second yellow card and was subsequently sent off.

Two minutes from the end, Vercesi hit a great free-kick from 20 yards which hit the post and rebounded out to Holland who hit a return shot just wide.

The match ended with Tom Barwell getting a yellow card for contesting another dubious decision by the referee.