A Luke Finn brace saw Axminster Town to a share of the South West Peninsula League Eastern Division points as they drew 2-2 with Ilfracombe Town at Tiger Way.

The Tigers put in what was a steady performance against a lively Ilfracombe side who, like Axminster have been in decent form of late.

The opening goal arrived on 25 minutes when the Tigers scored from a superb team move that saw Connor Swingler play a slide-rule pass to Luke Finn, who rifled the ball home from a tight angle and that proved to be the only goal of the first half.

The second half saw the North Devon start with belief, something that was helped by the home side failing to finish off a number of good scoring opportunities.

Parity was restored on 65 minutes when Ilfracombe’s CJ Roberts eased past a couple of defenders before rifling the ball beyond Tigers’ glovesman Ashley Smith.

Clearly stung by being pegged back, the Tigers were quick to get onto the front foot again a and, seven minutes after the Ilfracombe goal the home side were back in front when Finn was rewarded for his relentless work rate, scoring his second from another tight angle.

To their credit, Ilfracombe Town refused to buckle and they scored their second with eight minutes remaining when Dave Slade powered home a header from six yards out.

There was still time for either side to fashion one more good scoring opportunity and it fell to home birthday boy Sam Dibling, who latched onto a through-ball, but, faced with the on-rushing keeper 12-yards out, the normally prolific forward tried to chip the ball over the glovesman, but the young custodian read Dibling’s intentions and made an easy save.

The Axminster Town supporters opted for two-goal Finn as their man of the Match.

The point sees Axminster move up to joint fourth in the table with Ilfracombe moving up to joint seventh.