With Tony Craig suspended, Dan Pybus and Rob Milsom both carrying knocks, and skipper Charlie Carter unavailable for personal reasons, Marc White made four changes to the side victorious against Hemel Hempstead last weekend. There was a first start for Jack Young in central midfield, with George Francomb and Jordan-Norville Williams both coming into the starting line up to join Josh Brooking at the back, Dan Gallagher also in as the defensive midfielder and taking the captain’s armband for the afternoon.

The visitors shaded the early exchanges, displaying high energy and pushing forward to force a couple of openings; Francomb with a superb block to deny Jordan Thomas’ dangerous looking cross getting beyond the near post several minutes in.

Wanderers hadn’t really made any headway into the final third but on 12 minutes managed to open the scoring and in some style. Salisbury goalkeeper James Hillsom punched a cross from the right as far out as Young, who instinctively sent the ball back the way it came with a superb volley which flew over the committed Hillsom to land in the back of the net, a truly memorable way for the Wycombe Wanderers loanee to open his account.

Bowerman and McManus would drive efforts wide of target as Wanderers searched for a second, but at the midway point of the half Josh Hedges would spurn the best effort of the game up the other end, somehow scooping the ball over the bar from just a few yards out after meeting a low cross from the right inside the six yard box.

The momentum was with Brian Dutton’s side towards the end of the opening forty-five, Noah Coppin hammering near-identical strikes from range over the bar and off the roof of the Family Stand, whilst the high press led by Salisbury’s front-line did put Wanderers under pressure at the back, almost leading to a couple of openings on goal – Harrison Foulkes in one instance fortunate to get away with a misplaced pass out from the back.

H/T | 1-0

Within a couple of minutes of the restart, a Norville-Williams free kick headed back across goal by Prior was struck agonising wide by Francomb connecting with the ball first-time. Another Prior aerial flick-on then nearly paved the way for Rutherford to guide the ball into goal as he went one-on-one with Hillsom, denied with a block Bowerman gathered the resulting loose ball but curled his strike wide.

The pendulum started to swing back Salisbury’s way as they built pressure around the Wanderers box, but just beyond the hour the dynamics looked set to change again as forward Aiden Elliott-Walker received his second yellow card within just ten minutes of picking up his first, bringing McManus to ground with a shirt pull as he drove forward from central midfield.

Pushing to make the numerical advantage count but struggling to carve out any real chances, it took another instinctive moment from Young to double the scoreline and his tally for the afternoon on 83 minutes; taking on a first time effort from 30 yards out which Hillsom couldn’t quite push away from finding the bottom corner of goal.

Just a few minutes later, for the second week running, Wanderers presented their opponents with a way back into the game after giving away a penalty kick; Francomb’s header on a long ball not generating enough power to get back to Foulkes, and in looking to claim the ball the goalkeeper brought a Salisbury attacker to ground. Hedges stepped up, and steered his spot kick confidently into the bottom right corner.

Deficit halved and the visitors tails very much up, a remarkable stoppage time period, initially indicated to be 6 minutes,  would dramatically unfold as Salisbury not only got themselves back on terms but also in front.

The equalising goal came courtesy of flicked-on corner ball leading to an effort cannoning back of the crossbar, substitute Ronan Silva then fastest to the rebound and able to crash the ball home from close range.

Then, with what looked set to be the final kick of the game, Hedges managed to score his second of the game; meeting Jordan Ragguette’s cross from the left with a deft finish towards the near post, sending the travelling Salisbury contingent in that corner of Meadowbank into utter delirium.

Not for the first time in Wanderers recent past, flairs thrown onto the pitch by opposition support would contribute to the additional time being increased, and once again, Marc White’s men would capitalise to salvage a point right at the death.

Joel Brown had come on for Dan Gallagher towards the end of regulation time, and the young midfielder’s loose pass in midfield had played a part in the build up for Salisbury’s third goal, but Brown looked to make amends up the other end, and it was his strike at goal which could only be palmed away by Hillsom, fellow substitute Bobby-Joe Taylor able to get to the rebound and calmly sweep the ball into goal, to a wave of relief all around Meadowbank.

In his post-match interview Marc White acknowledged his late substitutions had perhaps disrupted the team structure to a point which allowed Salisbury a route back into the game, the manager understandably very disappointed to drop two points having led with an extra man advantage. Recognising the drop off in overall quality and performance level, and the impact of making 4 changes to the starting line up, in looking ahead to Tuesday night’s away fixture with Tonbridge Angels the manager hoped to welcome a few player’s back into the fold.

Unbeaten through the last four league matches, Wanderers will be looking to the midweek fixture as an opportunity to quickly bounce back and try and return to winning ways.