A nail-biting final few minutes saw Fleet snatch a 90th minute equaliser to salvage a point from a game they should have won.

When the home side went ahead with a minute to go, Andy Sinton’s men looked to have surrendered all three points. But as the game headed towards added-time, Shaun Hale pounced on a half-cleared ball to grab the equaliser with a simple, side-footed tap-in.

During several further minutes of injury-time Fleet went all out for a winner. And with the final kick of the match James Field looked to have done it, but his curling 20 yard strike was just tipped around the post by Hillians keeper, Andre Foster.

Fleet’s point was not enough to keep them in the league top-spot. They have now dropped to second behind Dulwich Hamlet on goal difference, but with a game in hand on the south London side.

With Burgess Hill in the 7th league spot, this game was always going to another tough one for the Fleet side, particularly as Fleet have never beaten this Sussex side.

Sinton had to make several changes to the side that drew disappointingly on Saturday with Molesey after finishing that match with only 9 men. In came Hale on the left, to replace Darren Campbell. There was also a starting place for wingman, Ian Griffin, now fully recovered from injury. And Field started on the bench after a lacklustre showing on Saturday.

Fleet started slowly and for the opening 20 minutes were made to chase the game, by a fired-up Burgess Hill side. Fleet though did manage to create the first chance, Michael Douglas firing just over the bar on 25 minutes with a very powerful drive. The home side looked dangerous from set-pieces and several times went close after Fleet failed to clear the ball quickly from defence.

With a minute to go before the break, Sinton brought on Field to replace Ben White. The ex-Aldershot youngster made an immediate impression, his powerful shot a minute later just being blocked by Foster.

After the break Fleet took charge, Ed Smith creating a great chance to score on 51 minutes, but again Foster saved. Two minutes later Smith made amends from the penalty spot, opening the scoring after Burgess Hill’s Lloyd Cotton handled in the area, parrying away a shot from Griffin.

Three minutes later the scores were back level after striker, Wayne Jarvis followed up his own free-kick to score from 8 yards out after Nick Fogden’s shot came back off the crossbar.

The home side then took control and for the next 10 minutes the ball seemed to stay in the Fleet half.

Fleet looked dangerous on the break and with both Field and Griffin regularly out-pacing their markers the chances came. From one of them Douglas hit the upright with a powerful strike from the edge of the 18-yard area.

With 10 minutes to go Fleet’s Phil John broke through but was brought down just outside the penalty area, by Hillians’ Kevin Keehan, who inexplicably stayed on the pitch. From the resulting free-kick, Douglas again hit the upright, this time with a header.

Two minutes later Keehan was involved in another bad tackle and was sent from the field by referee, Chris Salt. With a man advantage, Fleet now stepped up the pace, trying to find the winner.

For the final 10 minutes the play was end-to-end, but it was Burgess Hill who scored what looked to be the winner with just one minute to go; Kevin Joyce netting from a corner.

It was then left for Hale to pull things back with his last minute equaliser.

Fleet travel to Horsham YMCA on Saturday; ko 3pm, as they bid to regain the league top spot. The Hants Senior Cup tie against Cove will be played at Cove next Tuesday evening. Ko 7.45pm.