Corby Town appeared to be heading for yet another F.A Cup nightmare until a rousing second half fight back salvaged a draw from the jaws of defeat. During the opening half an hour there was plenty of sparring but little sign of anyone landing a knock out blow. There was no hint of the drama which was to unfold.
Ben Bradshaw finally got a shot on target for the Steelmen in the 27th minute and Hassan Sheikh did likewise for Dunstable four minutes later but neither effort seriously tested the respective goalkeepers.
Corby had enjoyed far more possession up to this point but that counted for nothing n the 37th minute when visiting skipper Arel Amu took advantage of some poor defending to give his side the lead.
Things went from bad to worse five minutes later when Chris Wreh found himself unmarked at a Joe Mead corner and headed past Dan George from close range. Then, deep into first half injury time, Wreh cut inside from the left wing and curled a shot into the far bottom corner of the net. At 3-0 Corby were staring another ignominious F.A Cup exit squarely in the face.
Steve Kinniburgh resisted the temptation to make changes at half time but in the 54th minute the Corby manager was forced to bring on Joel Carta for Ben Bradshaw, who had gone into the game carrying a foot injury.
Seconds later Sam Warburton was brought down just inside the penalty area (probably!) as he attacked the byline and referee Mr Shaun Gregory pointed to the spot. To the surprise of everybody it was Carta who placed the ball on the spot before firing in a firm and accurate shot which needed to be both as goalkeeper Will Hunt went the right way and might have saved a less proficient kick.
Steve Kinniburgh later revealed that Carta had earned the right to take the penalty by winning a shoot-out competition in training during the week.
Dunstable then had a golden opportunity to restore their three goal advantage when Wreh mis-kicked in front of an open goal. Instead of celebrating his hat trick the striker could only look on helplessly as Jake Bettles fed Jordan Francis on the left wing and he fired in an angled shot past Hunt to make it 3-2 with 78 minutes played.
Things then swung even further in Corby's favour when Alex Taylor dived in with a high two-footed tackle on Connor Kennedy and Mr Gregory responded by producing a straight red card.
Dunstable strengthened their defence by bringing on Daniel Trif for Wreh and as the visiting tackles became increasingly desperate Trif and Sheikh both picked up yellow cards.
Just as it appeared that the visitors might hang on for the win Corby struck their 88th minute equaliser, Carta knocking the ball into the box and Elliot Sandy rising to head it in - much to the delight of those of a Corby persuasion both on and off the pitch.
Even at this late stage the Steelmen could sense that a winner was a possibility - especially when goalkeeper Hunt became the second visiting player to see red for handling the ball outside his penalty area.
A deciding goal failed to materialise, however, and the two teams must now do it all again at Dunstable's Creasey Park.

CORBY TOWN:- Dan George; Miles Smith, Sam Warburton; Ben Bradshaw (substitute Joel Carta), Dean McBride, Gary Mulligan (captain), Jordan Francis, Connor Kennedy, Elliot Sandy(substitute Zac Allen), Jake Bettles, Jordon Crawford. Unused substitutes: Ashley Robinson, Steve Kinniburgh, Dan Smith.

DUNSTABLE TOWN; Will Hunt; Marius Patru (substitute Ben Collins), Gedeon Okito, Hassan Sheikh, Joe Mead, Kieran Ogden; Alex Taylor, James Lauder, Arel Amu (captain), Chris Wreh (substitute Daniel Trif), Jetmir Esso (substitute Saul Williams). Unused substitutes: Nathan Mullins, George Naismith.

REFEREE:- Mr Shaun Gregory (Peterborough).

ATTENDANCE: 372.