OWEN Howe’s injury-time equaliser denied AFC Totton back-to-back wins in the Evo-Stik Southern One South & West after the Stags threw away a two-goal lead against Tiverton Town.

Keen to avenge last weekend’s FA Trophy defeat against the same opponents, the Stags raced two up after just 15 minutes through Marc Diaper and Mike Gosney this afternoon, writes Danny Maiorca.

But, despite having a numerous chances to kill the game, they allowed Town back into it and Howe punished lacklustre defending twice to ensure his side took a point back to Devon.

The 2-2 stalemate means Totton move up two places in the table to 15th on goal difference, while Tiverton remain fifth.

The home side started very much on the front foot and made the perfect start after just two minutes. An early corner evaded everybody and fell for Diaper whose cross-cum-shot found its way into the top left-hand corner.

The game looked to be over as a contest after just a quarter-of-an-hour. Nick Watts was judged to have won the ball cleanly in the centre of the park by referee Alex Blake, before excellently wriggling forward and finding Gosney unmarked on the edge of the box.

Gosney expertly completed the move, firing past goalkeeper Joe Perry into the same corner as his side’s first.

Watts’ challenge to craft the goal incensed visiting manager Martyn Rodgers, whose aggressive protests saw him warned by the referee and set the tone for what would become a heated encounter.

Howe found himself in trouble with the referee and was booked12 minutes before half-time after an altercation with Jack Simpson, who was also shown a yellow card.

The Yellows’ striker was having a frustrating day until that point, but found the net five minutes later after the ball fell loose in the Stags’ box.

The hosts almost mustered the perfect reply. Excellent link-up play between Nathaniel Sherborne and Craig Feeney saw the No9 flick the ball to Watts who was in acres of space. Somehow, he missed the target with just the goalkeeper to beat.

The visitors went close to levelling less than four minutes later but Howe’s powerful volley from point-blank range was well saved by Steve Mowthorpe in the Totton goal.

Tiverton frantically searched for a second goal after the interval, but it was Totton who squandered a chance to seal the triumph with ten minutes to go. Feeney set it up nicely for Watts, but the ex-Sholing winger fired narrowly wide.

Steve Hollick’s side paid for their missed chances with the very last kick. Howe was the man-of-the-moment once again, curling his effort from the edge of the six-yard box past a stranded Mowthorpe to grab a point for his side.