TEENAGERS Matt Dinsmore and debutant David Burtoft announced themselves on the St George's Lane stage but Worcester City had to settle for a point against Blyth Spartans.

The pair struck within six minutes of each other in the second-half as Richard Dryden's men clawed their way back from two goals behind to stretch their unbeaten run to four games.

But the hosts will see it as two points dropped as, despite trailing to Chris McCabe's second-minute strike and Robert Dale's debatable penalty, they had the lion's share of possession and were in the ascendancy for much of the contest.

As against Workington two weeks ago, City once again demonstrated their fighting spirit and were left wondering what might have been come the final whistle.

They also founded themselves battling Blyth's spoiling tactics and a referee who ruined the match with a series of questionable calls.

And to compound the issue, captain Chris Smith hobbled out of the action just after half-time with a recurrence of the ankle injury that had kept him out for the whole of January.

Following last week's 1-0 success at Southport, Dryden would have been looking for his team to further chip away at the gap between themselves and the Blue Square North play-off places against a side trying to stave off relegation.

But those plans went out of the window inside two minutes as City failed to clear a long throw-in and the ball bobbled around before falling to McCabe to prod past on-loan keeper Cameron Belford from 10 yards.

City, though, were on top for the rest of the first-half and carved out some decent openings but wayward finishing let them down.

Ryan Clarke and George Clegg both blazed over when well-placed and Jon Munday, who has extended his loan from Kidderminster Harriers for the rest of the season, headed over the crossbar from Jamie Price's free-kick.

Price was not having one of his better days with set-pieces but he did manage to force Blyth keeper Adam Bartlett to block one delivery, from which Munday's rebound was deflected over.

Clegg, booked before the break for a lunge on Spartans skipper Peter Snowdon, might also have had a penalty when he was barged over the by-line despite his marker making no attempt to play the ball.

However, referee James Adcock had no hesitation pointing to the spot three minutes into the six he added on at the end of the half, largely for Blyth time-wasting.

Philip Bell got past Munday on the left and burst into the area before falling clumsily as he rounded Belford's out-stretched arm. The on-loan Bury keeper's contact was minimal at best and Bell appeared to have lost control of the ball but Dale made no mistake from 12 yards.

Smith lasted just four minutes after the interval before he was replaced by Burtoft for his debut which saw Clarke partner Munday in the centre and Graham Ward fill in on the right.

Rapinder Gill, who had a much-improved game in place of the suspended Jonny Harkness on the left, then got involved in a bout of off-the-ball grappling with Alex Gildea and both players were cautioned.

City desperately needed a goal, and it arrived on 58 minutes. Ward got to the by-line on the right and drilled in a cross which Dinsmore flicked past Bartlett under pressure from a defender.

It was no more than the City academy product, who signed a senior contract with the club last week, deserved for his hard-working display despite being dwarfed by Blyth's towering defence.

Dinsmore's strike lifted everyone inside the Lane and, when Burtoft thumped a left-footer past England C' international Bartlett from 20 yards six minutes later the place was rocking.

City sensed victory but their commitment to the cause left them increasingly exposed at the back and McCabe almost undid all their hard work when he fired over from close-range on 74 minutes.

Adcock continued to rile the home support as he awarded a free-kick against Gill despite the City defender clearly winning the ball.

Dryden went for broke eight minutes from time, bringing on Troy Wood for Ward, but had to settle for a point.