A LATE equaliser from Cherries loanee Ricky Sappleton spoiled Aldershot Town's Football League homecoming this afternoon.

The Shots were appearing on home turf in the league for the first time in 16 years and Louie Soares's strike on 63 minutes got the party started at the EEB Stadium.

But substitute Sappleton was on hand to secure Cherries a point on their travels with an unstoppable 82nd-minute drive.

Boss Kevin Bond made one change to the side that crashed to a 2-1 Carling Cup defeat against Cardiff in midweek, with Joel Ward dropping to the bench and Brett Pitman returning to the starting line-up after recovering from a facial injury. Lee Bradbury reverted to a now more familiar position at right-back with Pitman partnering Jo Kuffour up front.

But with Jason Pearce failing a fitness test during the warm-up due to a tight hamstring, Ward found himself thrust into the action at the 11th hour.

The home side had the best of the opening exchanges, with John Grant's shot from the right-hand edge of Shwan Jalal's penalty area flashing across goal with the just five minutes on the clock.

Nikki Bull then pulled off a stunning save to deny Cherries on nine minutes, the Shots keeper pushing Pitman's diving header over the bar after Jo Kuffour's teasing cross had set up the Channel Islander.

And Pitman was again left to hold his head in his hands just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark when his right-foot effort was beaten around the post by Bull following Darren Anderton's free kick.

As Cherries started to dominate, Ward's header from Warren Cummings's corner was punched clear by Bull, the keeper being roared on by a vociferous Shots support behind the goal.

Soares's dangerous cross after 17 minutes was headed clear for a corner by Bradbury, before Grant's attempted lob was gathered by Jalal five minutes later.

Ben Harding then played Kirk Hudson through, but the midfielder, who had a brief spell at Dean Court in 2005, could only poke his shot straight at Jalal.

As the game flowed from end-to-end, however, further chances were hard to come by with both defences impressing when holding firm.

Marvin Morgan's weak strike provided a limited test for Jalal with five minutes of the first half remaining, Cherries' keeper again snuffing out the danger with ease, before Pitman's looping header from Bradbury's cross on 43 minutes was expertly tipped over by the dominant Bull.

And as the first half drew to a close, Morgan could only head Scott Donnelly's cross wide of Jalal's right-hand post.

The Shots started the second half as they had left the first, with Grant's drive across goal on 49 minutes only just collected by Jalal following Ward's intervention.

Donnelly's dipping free kick 10 minutes into the second period was well saved by Jalal, while Kuffour's neat turn and burst of pace was brought to a halt by Bull's challenge on the hour mark.

But the Shots continued to look dangerous on the counter and the impressive Soares's strike on 63 minutes kicked off the EBB Stadium party - albeit a little later than planned.

Soares, brother of Crystal Palace star Tom, latched on to Morgan's defence-splitting through ball and slotted neatly past Jalal as the Cherries back four were caught napping.

The Shots support thought their side had gone two goals to the good with 70 minutes expired, but Morgan's tap-in after Jalal had parried Hudson's fierce drive was deemed offside.

It would have been no more than the Shots deserved, however, as Cherries looked bereft of both attacking and defensive ideas under pressure from last season's runaway Blue Square Premier champions.

Substitute Sappleton, on for an uninspiring Sammy Igoe, dragged a 77th-minute shot well wide of Bull's right-hand post, before the Leicester City loanee handed Cherries a lifeline with eight minutes remaining.

Cummings burst down the left flank and fired over a looping cross towards Shaun Cooper, the former Portsmouth man's header cleared by Chris Blackburn.

But Sappleton, lurking on the edge of the Shots box, unleashed a fearsome drive into the top corner of Bull's net to register his first career goal.

Cherries then had what appeared to be a stonewall shout for a penalty after substitute Lewis Chalmers looked to have handled Brett Pitman's header on the goal-line, but referee Andy D'Urso waved play on.

Jalal saved well at the feet of late substitute Danny Hylton with less than five minutes remaining, while the Shots had their own shout for a spot-kick dismissed by D'Urso moments later following Bradbury's challenge on Morgan.

The Shots continued to press for a winner after fourth official John Busby had shocked all by indicating five minutes of stoppage time.

And Ward was both hero and villain after he had been given the slip by Hylton, only to block the Shots man's strike following his initial mishap.

Aldershot Town: (4-4-2) Bull; Starosta, Blackburn, Charles, Howell (Straker, h-t); Soares, Donnelly (Chalmers, 83), Hudson, Harding; Grant (Hylton, 83), Morgan.

Unused subs: Newman, Jaimez-Ruiz (g/k).

Booked: Chalmers.

Cherries: (4-4-2) Jalal; Bradbury, Guyett, Ward, Cummings; Bartley, Anderton (Pettefer, 90), Cooper, Igoe (Sappleton, 66); Pitman, Kuffour.

Unused subs: Partington, McQuoid, Pryce (g/k).

Booked: Guyett.

Referee: Andy D'Urso (Essex).

Attendance: 4,564.