THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO -- It's not so much the win that impressed Jim Barker, but how the Toronto Argonauts went about getting it.

Robbie Dehaze's 13-yard yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining rallied the Argos to a 13-10 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the first CFL exhibition game for both teams Sunday.

Trailing 10-1 heading into the second half, Toronto pulled to within 10-7 thanks to fine play from quarterback Dalton Bell, who guided the offence on marches of 55 and 58 yards in the third quarter that culminated with field goals.

In the fourth, after Grant Shaw's 39-yard field goal made it 10-10, former Miami Hurricanes star Ken Dorsey hit a wide-open Derek Stanley on a 44-yard completion to put the Argos on the Hamilton 10-yard line with just over a minute remaining.

After a Bryan Crawford four-yard run and incompletion, Dehaze gave the sparse Rogers Centre gathering of 12,514 something to cheer about with his game-winning boot to cap an eight-play, 73-yard drive.

"I was proud of the way our guys battled all the way to the end. I mean, they wanted to win the game," Barker said. "When you haven't won much in the previous years that's important.

"I was excited for our players that they got the chance to win the game."

Barker wasn't excited about the Argos' penchant for taking penalties. They were flagged 16 times for 104 yards, with 20 coming after defensive tackle Adriano Belli was offside, then called for unnecessary roughness.

That put Hamilton on Toronto's 15-yard line in the first and set up a 22-yard field goal that put the visitors ahead 3-1.

"Adriano is a work in progress, he is what he is and we are working hard to make him understand the importance of being a part of a team," Barker said. "Adriano goes out with the very best of intentions always but he knows what he did was wrong."

Victories have been hard to come by for Toronto -- which has won a combined seven games the last two seasons. Barker replaced the fired Bart Andrus this off-season with the mandate to get the Argos back into the playoffs.

Dorsey, the last of four Toronto quarterbacks, finished 8-of-17 passing for 96 yards with an interception in his first football game since 2008 with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. Dorsey's pick came on the Argos' possession before their game-winning drive and right after they tied the game. He said there was no anxiety on the sideline.

"I felt like even before the interception I was pretty comfortable," he said. "I don't think the demeanour changed (after interception), there was no panic."

Still, Toronto gave Hamilton a last chance for the comeback by failing to run out the clock. The Ticats took over at their 41-yard line with seven seconds remaining but Adam Tafralis's last-gasp pass was incomplete.

Hamilton, which was second in the East Division last year with a 9-9 record, didn't dress many of its regulars, including starting quarterback Kevin Glenn. Head coach Marcel Bellefeuille wanted to give his younger players a chance to perform.

"The young guys got to play a lot and we saw how they'll play with the lights on," he said. "Overall, it was a good barometer.

"I'm happy we got to play everybody."

Quinton Porter started at quarterback for Hamilton and looked solid, completing 5-of-7 passes for 50 yards while adding 14 yards rushing on two carries. Tafralis worked the second and fourth quarters and was 11-of-23 passing for 106 yards and an interception.

Newcomer Jason Boltus split time with Tafralis in the second half. Boltus started the third and returned late in the fourth, finishing 4-of-7 passing for 28 yards before leaving the game with an apparent ankle injury.

Cleo Lemon opened under centre for Toronto and was just 3-of-10 passing for 41 yards but Jeffrey Webb did Lemon no favours by dropping three catchable tosses. Former Queen's star Danny Brannagan took over in the second and completed 3-of-11 passes for 31 yards and an interception.

Barker said while he was content with the play of his quarterbacks, Brannagan has much work to do.

"It's going to be a learning process for Danny," Barker said. "I was happy with his composure, he maintained that and hopefully he can continue to grow as a quarterback.

"It was important to me to give Danny quality reps, not cleanup reps and I thought he got that. He's got a lot to learn, he's got a long way to go."

Brian Calhoun scored Hamilton's touchdown. Sandro DeAngelis booted the convert and a field goal.

Shaw had two field goals for Toronto while Dehaze added two field goals and single.

NOTES -- Glenn, receivers Arland Bruce III and Dave Stala, tailback DeAndra' Cobb, offensive linemen Alexandre Gauthier and Marwan Hage, linebackers Jamall Johnson, Markeith Knowlton and Otis Floyd and defensive back Jason Shivers were among the players not playing for Hamilton. Offensive tackle Rob Murphy and cornerback Willie Middlebrooks were the only Argos starters not suited up.