Dartford came from behind to earn a point at Eastbourne on Saturday.

The visitors trailed 1-0 at the interval but Andy Pugh levelled things up 18 minutes from time before Tom Bradbrook was shown a straight red card.

Darts had to withstand some late pressure but held on for a share of the spoils in Sussex.

Danny Harris made his 300th appearance for Dartford after being recalled to the starting XI in place of Ryan Hayes. Tony Burman's only other change saw striker Tom Bradbrook come in for midfielder Barry Cogan, who was ruled out by the hamstring injury he picked up against St Albans two weeks earlier.

Former Dart Nathan Collier started for Eastbourne, who won 2-1 at Whitehawk in midweek, while Craig Stone took the place of another Ebbsfleet player, Ian Simpemba, in their defence.

The game kicked off in driving rain with Dartford playing into a gale-force wind.

Conditions made for a dreadful spectacle in the opening 45 minutes.

Almost all the play was in Dartford's half, with keeper Deren Ibrahim unable to get much distance on goal kicks and Eastbourne passes forward often being carried straight out of play.

Elliot Bradbrook saw a cross-shot easily gathered by Lewis Carey when the Darts did eventually manage to get forward and work an opening on the left-hand corner of the box.

At the other end, Ryan Worrall's corner from the left drifted over Ibrahim and to the back post, although Elliott Romain couldn't quite get the crucial touch.

Eastbourne took the lead on 25 minutes. Jamie Taylor's right-wing cross was palmed out by Ibrahim but straight to Nathaniel Pinney, who slammed in the rebound.

It was almost 2-0 moments later, Romain's deep cross almost blown inside the far post with Ibrahim caught under the flight of the ball.

Pugh delivered a good cross for the visitors but it was just too strong for Tom Bradbrook in the six-yard box.

Eastbourne went close again when Worrall rolled a free-kick sideways to Pinney and he crashed a powerful shot just wide of Ibrahim's left-hand post.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Darts looked more dangerous straight away. Tom Bradbrook got his head to Tom Gardiner's cross from the right and glanced the ball just over.

Harris then played a neat pass for Mark Onyemah and his low cross was brilliantly cut out by Bournemouth loanee Callum Buckley.

Dartford were all over the Sports now, with Eastbourne suffering in the wind as their visitors had done earlier in the game. Pugh played a smart one-two with Elliot Bradbrook and saw his goalbound shot blocked.

Elliot Bradbrook then drilled a free-kick straight at Carey after Sam Beale had brought down Tom Wynter 25 yards out.

Borough managed to break out and Romain escaped the attentions of Callum McNaughton before dragging a low shot wide.

At the other end, Harris was flagged offside when Pugh picked him out with a cute pass inside the box and McNaughton nodded wide from a Wynter free-kick.

On came Hayes to force a good save from Carey, with the home side calling for play to stop as one of their players was down injured.

But it was almost 2-0 when Ronnie Vint misjudged a ball down the middle and substitute Darren Lok raced clear. He tried to lift the ball over Ibrahim but the goalkeeper got fingertips to his effort and kept the ball out.

That save looked even more crucial when Dartford equalised two minutes later. Pugh worked a yard of space in the box and fired a brilliant shot into the top corner with his left foot.

But the visitors then had Tom Bradbrook sent off for a challenge on Kiran Khinda-John and, playing with 10 men for the last 15 minutes, they came under pressure.

Taylor set up Romain for a shot which flashed wide and the home side survived a scare when a cross from the Eastbourne box drifted all the way through the six-yard box.

At the other end, Carey did well to keep out a Pugh strike which reared up just in front of him before Elliot Bradbrook lashed a long shot out of the ground in stoppage-time.

Eastbourne: Carey, Sheppard, Beale, Stone, Buckley, Khinda-John (McCallum 85mins), Worrall (Simpemba 67mins), Collier, Pinney (Lok 58mins), Taylor, Romain. Subs not used: Haysman, Bosma.

Dartford: Ibrahim, Gardiner, Onyemah, Vint, McNaughton, Wynter, Harris, E Bradbrook, Pugh, T Bradbrook, Simmons (Hayes 66mins). Subs not used: Sykes, Dembele, Francis, Boye.

Attendance: 565.