SALISBURY came twice from behind on a sweltering Tuesday evening at the Ray Mac to hold a strong Portsmouth side to a credible 2-2 draw.

League Two Pompey were playing nine first team squad members against the Whites who remained organised throughout, bouncing back from a 6-2 hammering against Basingstoke on Saturday.

The Whites were able to frustrate their superior opposition with a dogged display, before clinically taking both their chances from corner kicks, something Blues boss Paul Cook admitted after the game had been an Achilles heel during the last campaign.

On an evening when the temperature remained close to 30 degrees, Salisbury had the better start, despite the 2008 FA Cup winners playing four leagues higher.

But as the half wore on Portsmouth began to dominate proceedings. However, Steve Claridge sent his side out with two banks of four which the Blues found hard to break down.

Trialist Lee Angel, who hails from Newport in the Welsh valleys, formed a comfortable partnership alongside Elliott Wheeler and they mostly contained a Blues attack led by Noel Hunt.

The match was played with a distinct feel of a pre-season friendly, but the crowd of 1,124 were stung into life just before the break with a flurry of action. Firstly Havant loanee Charlie Searle produced two fine saves from Hunt and Milan Lalkovic in the Whites goal before a wonderful exchange down the left broke the deadlock.

The move started with Carl Baker in the inside left channel who delicately threaded a through ball to onrushing left back Enda Stevens on the overlap, whose low cross was diverted into the net by Hunt.

It took less than 60 seconds for Salisbury to equalise, when a corner delivered by Tom Whelan to the back post was headed home by star summer signing Justin Bennett for his first Whites goal. It was a sweet moment for the former Gosport hitman who spoke before the game of his experience of being a trialist at Portsmouth way back in 2003.

The second half went in much the same fashion as the Whites showed great discipline in holding their shape against a lacklustre Portsmouth.

However, the visitors looked to have clinched the winner when just before the hour mark Lalkovic slipped in Gary Roberts, who just managed to stay onside and calmly beat Seale from close range.

But another corner later and the Whites were level — this time left back Eddie Perrett managing to head into the net a nod back across the box from substitute Tony Lee after 72 minutes.

Pompey cranked-up the pressure in the last 15 minutes and came closest in injury time when Michael Smith fired the ball into the net after dispossessing Wheeler, but the referee rightly adjudged that the defender had been pushed.

It was an impressive performance for Salisbury who continue their pre-season away at Downton and Moneyfields before welcoming another League Two team — Yeovil Town — to the Ray Mac on Tuesday.