A fast start saw Dalton take an early lead, with Declan Wallis finishing after some great footwork in the box.

For the next 15 minutes, a controlled performance saw Dalton work the ball well and maintain the majority of possession.

Dalton then became the architects of their own downfall, failing to make a routine clearance and gifting Askam the equaliser with the prolific Brad Jackson slotting home.

Askam then capitalised on a period of scrambled minds with Harry Bolton breaking multiple challenges and finishing when the defensive sea parted. To add to the misery, Brennan Molyneux was then sin-binned for letting his frustrations get the better of him.

Dalton had to regroup with a man down and a goal down. A swift counter saw the ball find Owen McDonald, who broke into the 18-yard box. When others may have taken the shot, McDonald squared it for Wallis to slot home for his second of the night and third goal in two games.

The sides went in level at the break.

The second half was a frantic, open, end-to-end affair with Kell, Neillands, and Pucknell, all causing Dalton problems for Askam and Molyneux (now back on), Cole, McDonald, and Wallis doing the same for Dalton.

Frazer-Knight was forced into multiple good saves to keep the home team in it. At the other end, Wallis thought he’d got his hat trick on his home debut, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside - a tight but correct decision from the Askam club official.

Both teams, to their credit, continued to push for a winner.

A shot from distance was adjudged to have been tipped around the post by Hagan in the Askam goal. While the Askam players challenged the decision, Dalton set themselves. Cole Cooper delivered the perfect ball for Matty Pearson to head home with a perfectly time header to secure the win in the dying moments of stoppage time.

An excellent game, very well referred by Jimmy McLeish, ended 3-2 to Dalton, who move up to fifth in the league after a point on the opening day. A draw would have been fair on another day, but Dalton will take the win and move on to welcome Vickerstown to The Meadow on Saturday, 2 pm kick-off.