TRAILING 3-1 after 56 minutes, Lyme Regis were staring at defeat against the Exeter University 2nd X1 on a wet and a windy afternoon at Davey Fort.  But the Seasiders staged another late comeback and were unlucky not to have taken three points.

Lyme struggled in the opening minutes against the speedy university students and found themselves 1-0 down after just five minutes when the Lyme defence was out-paced in the visitor's first attack.

The Seasiders weathered the storm and were unlucky not to have equalised when Tom Bastin turned on a sixpence and fired over the bar.

On 25 minutes home keeper Chris Higgs had to leave the pitch after suffering a groin injury. Harvey Brimicombe took the keeper's gloves and Fred Parsons came on as a substitute.

The young students extended their lead just as Lyme were starting to put some good passing movements together when a flukey free kick was deflected into the net, leaving Brimicombe helpless .

Parsons, so often the Lyme talisman, provided the impetus which saw the Seasiders dominate the latter pat of the first half. A Mark Bailey volley from a corner was turned around the post, a 30-yard scorcher was palmed over the bar and a back header by Brad Rowe from a Ben Turner Corner bounced off the bar.

Then Lyme got the break they were looking for when Parsons slid the ball home just before half-time to make it 2-1.

Lyme came out with all guns blazing after the break with full-back Rikki Sargent heading wide from a corner.

Against the run of play, University extended their lead with a well taken strike in the 56th minute to make it 3-1 but from then on it was all Lyme.  On 69 minutes a fierce drive from Rikki Sargent was parried by the keeper and Brad Rowe was on hand to smash it home to reduce the arrears.

Lyme cashed in on their dominance with a superb finish by Parsons, his 51st goals for club to level the scores and then the Seasiders laid siege on the visitor's goal and with almost the last kick of the game substitute Tom Kilcoyne looked like he had got the winner but in a desperate goalmouth scramble the ball spun off the goalpost.

Lyme paid the penalty for giving away two soft goals but they played the best football and deserved three points.

Callum Garrett never stopped running in midfield, Rikki Sargent was peerless at full-back and Ben Turner had a storming game at centre-back.

Squad: Chris Higgs; Rikki Sargent, Ben Turner, Kingsley Wellman, Sam Pollard-Jones; Callum Garrett, Robbie Fellingham, Tom Bastin, Mark Bailey; Brad Rowe, Harvey Brimicombe. Subs: Fred Parsons, Tom Kilcoyne.

Lyme moved into fifth place in the Devon and Exeter Premier division and next Saturday they are at home to Elmore 2nds, who are a place above (kick-off 3pm).