A DRAMATIC injury-time equaliser thwarted Lymington Town's bid to reach the second qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

Instead of banking £6,000 in prize money, Lymington earned a five-hour, 275-mile round trip to Lydney, a town in the Forest of Dean on the west bank of the River Severn.

The Sydenhams Wessex Premier club were left to rue not killing off their Hellenic League Premier Division opponents at the first time of asking.

A combination of ill-discipline and errant finishing proved costly as Lymington surrendered the lead from virtually the last kick of the game.

Although Ross Gabriel's 17th-minute penalty gave the visitors the lead at the Sports Ground, Sam House soon restored parity with a bullet header from a Mike Gosney cross.

However, defender Zak Pickett received a straight red card for an X-rated challenge on 34 minutes, leaving the hosts with 10 men for just under an hour.

Ash Jarvis's penalty early in the second half put Lymington ahead but they were made to pay for not adding a third, with House culpable from two very presentable chances.

Lydney's aerial bombardment tactics eventually bore fruit when Lewis Thompson seized on a knockdown and rifled home a leveller deep into added time to set up Tuesday's replay.

Lymington: Jones, Davies, Pickett, Ansell, Brailey, King, Stephenson, Hennan, Gosney, House, Jarvis. Unused subs: Man, Tate, Newman, Wood.