ALRESFORD Town scored an 89th-minute equaliser at Andover on Saturday – yet still failed to arrest a disastrous run of Sydenhams Premier Division defeats.

The Magpies caught Andover cold by scoring with their very first attack in the opening minute – Tom Donaldson crossing for Tom Riddell to net a deflected volley from two yards out against his old club.

But the home side soon equalised when Alresford ’keeper John Howard slipped coming out to a meet a long forward pass. Michael Dixon – subject of a seven-day notice of approach from Sholing – quickly teed up Gunner Yates who stroked the ball into the unguarded net.

Although Dixon posed a constant threat, it took Andover until the 73rd minute to score again – and in controversial fashion.

Jordan O’Donnell delivered deep from the right and both Howard and the ball ended up in the net under fierce pressure from the muscular Dixon, but no foul was given.

Alresford got back into the game with a minute of normal time remaining when O’Donnell fouled Donaldson in the box.

O’Donnell was dismissed for a second bookable offence before sub John Mulhern stepped up to the spot and equalised with his first goal in Magpies colours.

But there was a cruel sting in the tail for Martin Beck’s men as Andover snatched a 3-2 victory in stoppage time through Lewis Benson arrowed in a diagonal free-kick. It was Alresford’s sixth straight league defeat, dragging them down to 17th ahead of tonight’s crucial game at 16th-placed Bournemouth Poppies.

Andover, meanwhile, entertain Blackfield & Langley this evening.