Paul Schofield had given Town a 70th-minute lead, but Littlehampton substitute Joe Charman equalised with 10 minutes left.

Dalgleish said: "We dominated the game in the second half, after we had looked like a parks side in the first half.

"Once we went 1-0 up, we should have killed the game off but missed a couple of opportunities. It was never a free kick for their goal, so we could feel aggrieved by that, but I felt they could have had a penalty.

"It's just one of those things but we still should have dealt with their free kick. Three points would have been nice, but a draw was the fair result."

Substitute Joe Charman got Golds' equaliser when he arrived at the back post to guide Danny Hand's free kick past Steyning keeper Darren Ford from 10 yards.

Steyning had every right to feel aggrieved as the free kick resulted from one of many questionable decisions from referee Andrew Goddard, who was the only person in the ground not to spot that Steyning defender James Davis clearly won the ball.

But Steyning had taken the lead against the run of play on 70 minutes. Substitute Simon Price, on for the injured Martin Rowe, curled over a delightful free kick and Schofield rose unchallenged to bury the ball past Jim Everett in the Littlehampton goal.

Golds will wonder how they did not win this match, after creating a host of chances in a one-sided first half. Jason Power's low shot was well-parried by the excellent Ford, who also kept out a Marcus Robertshaw effort.

As the rain descended, Golds' chances dried up and Steyning, content to play on the counter-attack, created their best chance of the half. Adam Mitchell fired over after Ben Garman's left-wing cross was poorly dealt with by the otherwise excellent Barry Pidgeon.

Mitchell was again in the thick of the action after the break. His fine work in the box on 51 minutes set up Garman, who screwed the ball wide of the target.

This effort was sandwiched in between two excellent Littlehampton chances. Mark Burgess' dipping volley sailed narrowly wide, and Ford saved Power's 18-yarder.

Steyning twice could have claimed a killer second goal moments before Charman's leveller. First Mitchell was denied by Everett, and then his shot was cleared to safety by Adam Palmer, who later left the field with a nasty-looking head injury.

Town host Peacehaven on Saturday.

STEYNING: Ford; Davis, Trower, Dutton, Whittingham; Waterhouse, Garman, Schofield, C.Duffett; Rowe, Mitchell. Subs: Price (Rowe 29), Shelford (Duffett 78), Defreitas, Edmonds.

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