A headed first-half goal by Tito Smith looked like being enough to give BAA the points at St. John's Field yesterday.

But just when BAA thought they had drawn the sting out of the Hornets, Dandy Town found a late equaliser to snatch a vital home point.

It was an inspired double substitution with just under a quarter of an hour remaining that gave Town a lifeline.

Ross Parsons came on for Purnell Douglas and Troy Lewis for Peter Sampson and immediately Town seemed to have greater purpose.

BAA made a change of their own just minutes later with Andy McCulloch replacing Duncan Ashworth who had run and run all afternoon.

But when BAA for once failed to get players behind the ball, substitute Parsons rose to meet a Lionel Furbert corner to put Town back on level terms six minutes from time.

And it was Town who looked most likely to produce a winner in a furious last five minutes which saw several shots on goal go soaring over the bar.

Town had dominated the game in the early stages but never really threatened to beat BAA 'keeper Paul Hayward, who put in an impressive display between the posts.

The Hornets forced a series of corners with Walter Musson playing his part in most of the attacking moves. His crosses frequently found the heads of the Town strikers, but the resulting shots were usually hit straight at the 'keeper.

A flurry of raids on the BAA goal promised much, but lacked the finishing touch.

And it was against the run of play when the diminutive Smith got his head to Tilman Darrell's corner, despite the towering presence of Diallo Sharrief, to beat Arnold Manders in the Town goal after 35 minutes.

Town stepped up the pressure just before the break with Furbert involved in a series of promising attacks which broke down at the vital moment.

On the stroke of half-time Hayward was forced to claim the ball from the heads of a cluster of Town forwards who were bearing down on his goal.

His timely intervention ensured that BAA held the advantage at the interval, but when play resumed he was treated to more of the same with Town conjuring up a barrage of shots and crosses to test his nerve.

The BAA defence stood firm despite some intense pressure and it looked as if they would hold on.

They survived a speculative effort from the left by Carlos Smith 15 minutes into the second half, which floated dangerously over the crossbar. And they even threatened to increase their lead.

The visitors could have gone two up when the tireless Smith nearly netted a second goal in one of the best moves of the game.

Darrell and Andre Thompson were involved in a neat build-up which split the Town defence and put Smith clean through in front of goal. But it was not to be for BAA as he pushed the ball agonisingly wide.

The only booking of a free-flowing game came when Furbert was shown the yellow card for a high tackle on Thompson.

Manders kept Town in contention when he tipped a screamer from Mark DeMoura against the post mid-way throught the second half, while at the other end BAA stood firm as the ball ricocheted off first one player then another in front of their goal before being cleared to safety.

As the momentum increased in the final 15 minutes, following the substitutions, it was Parsons who finally gave the home supporters something to cheer with a header that gave Hayward no chance.

Dandy Town: A.Manders, D.Sharrief, W.Campbell, W.Rudo, D.Lewis, P.Sampson, (T.Lewis, 74 mins), C.Smith, D.Simons, L.Furbert, P. Douglas (R.Parsons, 74 mins), W. Musson.

BAA: P.Hayward, S.Dill, D.Ashworth (A.McCulloch, 78 mins), A.Thompson, T.Darrell, A.Melvin, M. Thorne, T.Harvey, M. DeMoura, T.Smith, C.Critchlow.

Referee: Rex Osborne.

Men of the Match: Walter Musson (Dandy Town), Tito Smith (BAA).