There was no doubt who was the more relieved manager after this rousing FA Cup tie in deepest Devon ended all-square.

Despite taking the lead for the first time in 12 games, it was all hands to the pump for the home side in the second half as Crawley went desperately close to securing their place in the second round at the first time of asking.

"I'm delighted to still be in the competition," said a relieved Tivvy boss Martyn Rogers.

"Crawley were the better side. We had to work doubly hard because we kept giving the ball away so many times, but we live to fight another day and look forward to the replay."

While the players flew into tackles and the crowd, which included 400 or so noisy Crawley fans, lapped up a terrific tussle which ebbed and flowed throughout, Rogers and his opposite number Billy Smith seemed to be involved in their own personal duel to see who could get worked up the most.

It was surprising to see the normally tactiturn Crawley boss arguing with the referee as they left the pitch at half-time and haranguing the fourth official as he tried to make a late substitute.

But Smith had a point, particularly about the incident just before the break which left Crawley captain Peter Fear nursing a cut mouth after a studs-up challenge from his opposite number Jason Rees.

Within seconds nearly all the players were trying to break up the confrontation which followed, but amazingly Mr Probert, who has upset Smith before when he has handled Crawley games, chose to blow for half-time rather than reach for his top pocket.

"He took the easy way out," said Smith. "Peter shouldn't have reacted like he did but the referee saw what happened and should have done something about it."

Smith also won the tactical battle. He switched to 3-5-2 to cut off Tiverton's main threat down the flanks from fullbacks Steve Winter and Danny Haines, forcing Rogers to change both his front men and bring off their biggest danger Jamie Mudge midway through the second half to try to find a way through a Crawley defence which remained composed throughout.

Goalkeeper Andy Little was so well protected that he made just one save in the second half, diving full length to keep out Phil Everett's late header.

Little's handling in difficult conditions was exemplary and it is a pity that his only mistake led to Tiverton's 18th minute opener.

Under pressure from Mudge, he sliced a clearance against the Tiverton player and the ball rolled invitingly to Richard Pears who side-footed it into an empty net.

It was only in the next 15 minutes that Crawley lost their control on proceedings, but they hit back to fashion a well-worked equaliser on 36 minutes. Ernie Cooksey stood up a cross to the back post and although Paul Edwards, playing his first game in 18 months after injury, clawed Ben Judge's chip on to the bar, the ball bounced conveniently on to the head of Nic McDonnell who nodded in his first goal since the end of October and fifth of the season.

McDonnell has struggled with a calf injury since then, but he more than justified Smith's decision to pair him with top scorer Dave Stevens even though the Crawley strikers had to withstand a ferocious physical battering from Tiverton's rugged defenders.

"It's probably the easiest goal I'll score this season," admitted McDonnell.

"I thought a draw was the least we deserved. We had some great chances at the end and hopefully we can finish them off in the replay. Personally it was great to be playing after the injury and I thought I did well, although it was hard work in the last 15 minutes because I'm still a little bit short of fitness."

McDonnell was not the only player to feel the effects of a well-grassed, heavy pitch more akin to the back straight at Plumpton. The going could best be described as 'yielding' and certainly not the sort of conditions you could play the passing game which Crawley prefer with any degree of confidence.

It was hard to keep the ball moving and as the surface cut up in the second half and energy levels dipped the game became increasingly stretched. But with Fear doing the donkey work in midfield and Mo Harkin a constant threat with his neat skills, Crawley kept possession better and they should have won the game in the last ten minutes.

McDonnell streaked clear but Edwards denied him with a sprawling save and then Harkin and Fear created an opening for Stevens but he dragged his right-foot shot wide of the upright from just inside the penalty area.

Then came the moment which could have made the 200 mile trip back up the M4 a lot more pleasant for the Crawley fans. Harkin bewitched two defenders and cracked a fierce shot from 20 yards which Edwards did well to parry. Judge, steaming into the box, sidefooted the loose ball against the underside of the bar and when it fell to Stevens he poked it wide of a gaping goal from no more than six yards.

"That was the chance," admitted Fear, who relished the cut and thrust more than most, afterwards.

"Dave was disappointed in the dressing room but I think the linesman had his flag up anyway.

"It was a very enjoyable game to play in although the pitch was boggy and made it hard to pass the ball. I thought we coped with them pretty well and it's up to us to finish the job now in front of our own fans."

Tiverton: Edwards, Winter, Haines, Peters, Rudge, Cousins, Holloway (sub: Nancekivell 60), Rees (capt), Pears (sub: Everett 68), Rogers, Mudge (sub: Ovens). Unused subs: Lynch, Steele.

Crawley: Little, Judge, Cooksey, Hooper, Pullan, Fear (sub: Hemsley 89), Holmes, Harkin, McDonnell, Stevens, Le Bihan. Unused subs: Hockton, Payne, Bagnall, Brake.

Attendance: 1,840.

Referee: Lee Probert (Bristol).

Man-of-the-match: Peter Fear (Crawley).