Scorers: Stranraer – Lang (20) and Dunlop (26); Spartans – P Watson (49 and 73)
A second half fightback from Spartans denied Stranraer three points on the opening day of the league season.
The Blues held a 2-0 lead at the break but saw the capital club take the upper hand after the interval to ensure the spoils were shared.
Scott Agnew handed a home debut to Robbie Foster while Finn Ecrepont, Kirk McKnight and Deryn Lang all came into the starting line-up.
It was a quiet opening quarter of an hour but the game would burst to life on 20 minutes.
A swift Blues counter attack saw Mark Russell fire the ball in to Elliot Dunlop on the edge of the box.
He poked the ball on to Lang and his deflected effort looped up and over the helpless Blair Carswell to give the hosts the lead.
Almost immediately, the visitors could have been level.
Cammy Russell broke the offside trap on the left and his cross into the box caused confusion between defence and goalkeeper.
The ball broke kindly for Blair Henderson but his turn and shot went wide of the right upright.
Seconds later and Foster saw his low shot deflected and then put behind for a corner.
The second goal arrived on 26 minutes with Foster nodding the ball down to Lang.
The frontman tried to turn but Dunlop took the initiative and fired across Carswell, whose hand could only push the ball on to the inside of the post and into the net.
Dunlop came close again on the half hour mark after robbing Callum Booth as the Blues threatened to put the game to bed.
And they were within a coat of paint of doing just that before the break.
Foster got a yard of space with a beautiful drop of the shoulder and his ball into the box deceived Carswell and came back off the bar before Lang saw his goalbound effort cleared by former Blue Ayrton Sonkur.
The next goal was always going to be vital and it was the visitors who were celebrating just four minutes after the restart.
Russell’s corner was headed back across goal by Henderson and Watson had plenty of time to head home from close range.
Spartans were enjoying more of the ball now but failed to truly test Jacob Pazikas for much of the second half.
Instead, Lang put a looping header over the crossbar before Watson doubled his tally for the season.
Again, it was a set piece delivery and it was a tidy finish from the experienced defender who fired into the roof of the net from about 10 yards out.
Neither team could create a clear cut chance to win the game and instead had to settle for an opening day point.
Stranraer: Pazikas, Cummins, Ross, Ecrepont, McIntosh, Brindley, Dunlop, Russell, McKnight, Lang (Grant 79), Foster (Edgar 69).
Not used: Robertson, McQueen, Hawkshaw, Hughes, Adam, Woods and Broun.
Spartans: Carswell, K Watson, Booth, Dishington (Walls 68), Hunter, Henderson, Russell, Sonkur, Craigen, Whyte, P Watson.
Not used: Inglis, Denholm, Lamont, Wylie, Scott and Meek.
Referee: Jordan Curran
HT: 2-0
Attendance: 470
Photos: Bill McCandlish
