FOR the second consecutive match, Town twice came from behind to earn a share of the spoils with Purfleet in a thoroughly entertaining battle at the Camrose.

A brace of the best goals I have seen from Town this season secured their point. Firstly, Chris Honor rifled in a 25-yard free-kick, a la David Beckham, to cancel out Cliff Akurang's third-minute opener.

When I said to Honor afterwards we'd been waiting all season to see him take a decent free-kick and score, he quipped: "I've been waiting my whole career!"

Then, with just four minutes to go and Town trailing to Akurang's second of the afternoon, Jason Bristow -- employed as striker as the clock ticked by - rose like a salmon to send a towering header into the top corner following Mark Lisk's pin-point cross.

Bristow also made light of his goal afterwards. "I didn't really see the cross," he joked, before adding: "I had won a few headers in the first half from set-plays quite easily, so knew that if I got the right ball in I would get on the end of it."

The result was in no way undeserved. But for a 10-minute spell after Purfleet's second goal, when Town continually gave the ball away to put themselves under pressure, they were the equal of their seventh-placed visitors.

Jason Eaton worked tirelessly up front as the first half ebbed and flowed. The Camrose Blues got off to a nightmare start when, after just three minutes, Martyn Lawrence whipped in a centre from the right and Akurang was on-hand to head powerfully past Tarr, who clawed the ball back on to the stantion but was unable to stop it crossing the line.

Sean Gorman then had a volley that grazed the top of the net before Honor's 18th minute equaliser. Matt Hayfield was up-ended and Honor shoved Paul Wilkinson aside to take the kick and bend it over the wall into Alex O'Reilly's top-right corner.

Lisk also came close with another excellent set-piece, won in near identical circumstances, but this time O'Reilly got down low and pushed the ball away.

Akurang's second came in the 54th minute. Town looked for an offside decision that never came, Steve Brown escaped down the right and cut back, the impressive Terry Bowes stepped over it and Lawrence sent in a wicked shot that bounced just in front of Tarr.

Although Town's number one got his wrists to it, the ball bounced back out where the waiting Akurang beat the dozing defence for a simple side-foot home.

Purfleet then enjoyed a spell of pressure and looked to make it 3-1 as Town became careless with their passing. But they weathered the storm and came back into the match.

Ernie Howe then sent on Raymond Spence for his first-team debut and the pacy forward had the confidence to take on two defenders before unleashing a shot that O'Reilly comfortably saved.

Just when it looked like Town would be denied, Bristow responded with his superb header that flew into the net and caused Howe to rush on to the pitch ecstatically.

Speaking afterwards, Town's boss said: "It is frustrating that we are not giving ourselves the chance to take a lead and hold on to it but, once again, the lads have shown lots of character, hung in there and got a result.

"It was definitely a game we didn't deserve to lose and one where we could have done with the aerial threat of Sillsy. The goals we conceded were a little disappointing but our two were excellent. We also thought 'oh-no' on the bench when Chrissy Honor went to take the free-kick!"

Basingstoke Town: Scott Tarr, Chris Honor, Stuart Girdler, Jason Bristow, Paul Wilkinson, Mark Lisk, Efon Elad, Matt Hayfield (sub Raymond Spence 65min), Jason Eaton, Sean Gorman (sub Toby Sumner 76min), Simon Herbert. Sub not used: Ashley Vine.

Purfleet: Alex O'Reilly, Mark Goodfellow, Jamie Southon, Dean Chandler, Jimmy McFarlane, Danny Jones, Paul Linger, Steve Brown (sub Martin Buglione 90min), Cliff Akurang (sub Colin Simpson 78min), Terry Bowes (sub Steve Pashley 8 min), Martyn Lawrence.