Stockport County came away from their first competitive fixture on a 3G pitch with a point – but did so after taking the lead against in-form Tamworth in both halves and then conceding within the closing minutes of each.

Danny Lloyd set the Hatters on their way against his former club with his 11th goal of the season, before Jed Davies equalised for the Lambs a minute before half-time.

And then a second County goal by substitute Josh Amis was cancelled out by Stephen Tomassen’s header two minutes from the end.

County’s line-up included just one change from that which took to the field at Edgeley Park against Bradford Park Avenue three days earlier.

Kaine Felix, who had joined the Hatters on a two-month loan from York City at the beginning of the week, went straight into the side in place of Courtney Meppen-Walters, to play on the right wing as part of a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The game proceeded from the outset at a fast pace on the artificial surface, although clear-cut scoring chances were relatively few and far between in the opening half-hour.

Lloyd saw a shot from the edge of the box deflected past the right post – while, for the Lambs, Ross Dyer headed on a Greg Mills cross from the left, only for Ben Hinchliffe to dive and catch the goal-bound effort.

Lead

The Hatters took the lead in the 34th minute, when Jimmy Ball threaded a pinpoint-perfect pass for Lloyd, who sprinted past the back-line and fired past home goalkeeper and captain James Belshaw.

Ten minutes later, however, and with the break just a minute away, parity was restored. Ellis Deeney picked out Mills, whose through-ball was slotted home by Lloyd’s opposite number 11, Davies.

The hosts, who had won their previous five matches, began the second half as the stronger side, although County were to go closest on two occasions – and in each instance through Lloyd.

The leading scorer’s free-kick was tipped over by Belshaw, and his header from a Mark Ross cross on the right flew narrowly wide of the right post.

After 82 minutes, the Hatters made a double substitution. And it was to pay immediate dividends, as one replacement, John Marsden, delivered a free kick that Lloyd headed on before the other new arrival, Amis, bundled the ball in to hand the lead back to County.

But, with two minutes remaining, one of Tamworth’s substitutes got the Lambs back on level terms after a free kick from the halfway-line was not fully cleared, and Tomassen headed home a cross from the right.

FULL-TIME: Tamworth 2 (Davies, 44; Tomassen, 88), County 2 (Lloyd, 34; Amis, 82).
Team: Hinchliffe, Ross (Capt) (Minihan, 90), Cartwright, Montrose, Clarke, Smalley, Felix (Marsden, 82), Stopforth, Odejayi (Amis, 82), Ball, Lloyd
Unused Subs: Ormson, Meppen-Walters
Booked: Montrose, Ball
Attendance: 710