A THRILLING draw at Marine provided Lancaster followers with one of their most entertaining Saturday afternoons of the season at the weekend.

The Dolly Blues looked dead and buried after going 2-0 and 3-1 down, but a fine rally brought them back into the game and looked almost certain to give them all three points until the dying seconds when their hosts got back on level terms.

Ricky Bainbridge's header for Marine opened the scoring early on, while Eddie Hussein doubled the lead with a long-range effort.

That was the signal for City to step up a gear, with Colin Potts quickly pulling a goal back, and City continued to look for a way back into the game throughout a frenetic first half.

Five minutes after the break, however, Marine hit back again, this time through Will Dolan, and Lancaster faced an uphill struggle to get back into the game.

Little Brian Welch rose highest from a corner to score City's second on 68 minutes and, less than 10 minutes later, the scores were level again when Potts scored.

Welch repeated the trick with 10 minutes left on the clock to put city in the lead and set up a tense finale.

However, City were unable to hold on to the lead, which would have taken them above rivals Altrincham into fourth place in the table.

With the seconds ticking away Marine skipper Jon Gauntrey heading home just as the 90 minutes elapsed.

City completed the double over Gateshead at Giant Axe on Tuesday night with a 2-0 victory over the side from the North-East.

Kenny Mayers put City in the lead early on with a close range shot while substitute Michael Yates, on his first appearance since injury scored the clinchers with three minutes left on the clock.

It could have been even better for the Blues, but Mayers missed a first half penalty.

Students can enjoy City's season-ending clash with Hucknall at Giant Axe on Saturday for the bargain price of just £2.

An NUS card is needed as proof of student status.