A goal down inside 20 seconds, Town fought back not just once, but three times to share the points with fifth in the table St Albans at New Lodge on Saturday.

It was, however, deep into time added one that the game's final goal came.

It was well worth waiting for as Steve Portway beat City goalkeeper Andy Lomas from close in, but from an apparently impossible angle to send the Town fans home with a spring in their step.

With Chris Moore restored to the back line and Kieren Adams back in midfield, the team was probably at its strongest.

But an attack right from the first whistle saw the defence completely undone. A cross was easily converted by Rob Haworth who headed home virtually unchallenged.

Town had to get back into the game and set about their task with vigour.

And on 16 minutes this was rewarded with a classy strike from the ever improving Adams.

A Craig Davidson centre was barely cleared to the edge of the box from where the midfielder blasted home.

While St Albans' championship aspirations have taken something of a knock of late, they remain the only Ryman League side in the F.A.Trophy, which has now reached the last eight stage, and they are a team of considerable talent.

There was little to separate the sides for the balance of the half, or at least until the 42nd minute when visiting midfielder Lenny Piper latched onto a bobbling clearance and shot.

The ball caught a slight deflection which put it out of Dave Root's reach.

The second period saw more of the same. While the visitors went in search of a third goal and looked capable of doing so, Town plugged away with plenty of action at both ends.

As it was, Billericay got the next goal to put them on even terms for the second time.

An attack in the 57th minute saw Andy Lomas fumble the resultant corner. David Adekola nearly bundled the ball over the line, but the joint effort of three panicking defenders managed to clear the ball off the line.

The relief for St Albans was, however, short-lived. On 65 minutes another Davidson cross put the visiting defence under pressure.

Martin St Hilaire tried to dribble the ball closer, but he was beaten, the ball rolling out to Dean Parratt on the edge of the box.

His shot beat Lomas to bring the teams level, and Parratt danced a jig in front of the Town fans behind the goal to celebrate his success.

St Albans came back quickly and Haworth got his second goal to put the visitors ahead three minutes later.

A corner was conceded under pressure and the kick was not properly cleared. A half chance was all Haworth needed and from an unmarked position he blasted the ball into the net.

Town came back strongly and Lomas did well to tip over a deflected free kick on 75 minutes.

There had been, however, several stoppages for the treatment of injuries and it was in time added on to make up that Town deservedly got their third equaliser.

In the last attack of the game, a loose ball fell to Portway to the right of goal some six yards from the post on the goal line.

Lining up an impossible angle he shot the ball over Lomas and into the farthest corner, a class strike and a goal that will be remembered long after the final score is forgotten.

Billericay Town: Root, Goldstone, Davidson, Moore, Sinfield, St Hilaire, Adams, Parratt, Adekola, Portway and Hooker (Bochenski).

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