A LAST-GASP equaliser some seven minutes into stoppage time by Paul Xiberras salvaged leaders Farnborough North End the point that kept them ahead of championship rivals Colden Common in an exciting 2-2 draw at the Cody Ground.

With eight games to go, North End still head Common by a slender one-goal margin on 69 points after twice coming from behind to deny the Commoners a win that would have sent them top of the pile for the first time this season.

Yet Nigel Light's men got off to the perfect start by moving ahead inside 45 seconds, a Dean Higgins cross being headed home by Richard Lang.

Higgins and Lang both went close to extending that lead inside the opening ten minutes before the home side settled and finally conjured up an equaliser on 55 minutes when Xiberras drove the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Common moved ahead again midway through the second half when Jim Hart and Simon Everett combined well and Hart released Lang, who lobbed the advancing keeper.

Lang was denied his hat-trick when he hit the upright five minutes from time before Xiberras speared in his late, late leveller.

"Having got so close we probably should have won it, but I would have taken a draw before kick off and it was a fair result anyway," admitted Common manager Nigel Light.

The draw was the ideal result for third-placed Otterbourne, who narrowed the gap on the top two to just four points with a 2-1 home success against AFC Portchester.

A Rob Fox through ball put Jamie Nash clear to lob the keeper after 20 minutes and the Otters added a second shortly before the break when Andy Harvey prodded in after Adrian Delanougerade had seen his 25-yard effort rattle the bar.

Otterbourne manager Terry Chapman admitted Portchester dominated the second half and that his team were hanging on at the end after Danny Turner had glanced home a header for the visitors after 75 minutes.

An 84th-minute strike by Gary Wearne gave high-riding Paulsgrove a narrow 1-0 verdict at home to Verwood.

Wearne struck after Wayne Johnson had headed a Ben Burgess corner against the crossbar. Johnson was certainly a relieved man having blasted a penalty kick against the upright two minutes earlier.

Goals by Matt Lavers and Ricky Bull looked to have set up Netley Central Sports for three points but Clanfield staged a late rally to snatch a 2-2 draw thanks to Rocky Moore on 76 minutes and a last-minute own goal by Gareth Bull.

Solo strikes from Kristian Hewitt, Ross Gregory, Chris Jones and Olly Forbes eased Hamble Club to a 4-1 victory against Ludgershall, while blows by Andy Hackett and Lee Hughes saw Overton United triumph 2-1 at Fleet Spurs, who had equalised through Gary Davies.