Salisbury City 2-2 Boreham Wood (From Salisbury Journal)

Salisbury City 2-2 Boreham Wood

8:01am Sunday 14th October 2012 in Headlines By Joel Holt

Salisbury City: Puddy, Udoji, Clarke, Matthews, Hart (c), Sinclair, Dutton, McPhee, Lewis (Brett 44), White, Fitchett

Subs not used: Scott, D Clarke, Flint, Hough

Scorer: White (48, 70)

Sent off for Boreham Wood: Charlie O’Loughlin (80)

Att: 742

SALISBURY CITY had to settle for a point after twice being pegged back by their opponents in a heated encounter at the Ray Mac.

Despite their first home draw of the season, the Whites have opened up a four point gap at the top of Conference South. 

Prolific marksman Jamie White put the leaders ahead with a dramatic goal in first-half stoppage time, before Cliff Akurang headed home the equaliser in the 57th minute.

White looked to have brought home all three points when he punished the visitors for a calamitous error with a cool finish inside the box.

But 14 minutes from time, David Hutton exploited the hosts’ sluggish defending to earn Wood a share of the spoils with a potent finish.

In a congested first half, not helped by the downpour of lethal hailstones, the hosts dug out the first chance of the afternoon. Jamie Clarke’s floated cross was met at the far post by Brian Dutton but he headed straight at James Russell.

City continued to press and Dan Fitchett was a whisker away when he unleashed a low drive, which spun wide of the target.

But with a goalless draw looking to be the score at half-time, the hosts squeezed ahead with a late goal.

Ugo Udoji’s cross was fired off the upright by Fitchett and White made no mistake by planting home the rebound. 

Wood were determined to get back on level terms and it took them just 12 minutes into the second-half to do so when Mauro Vilhete’s cross was guided into the far post by Akurang.

As the tension grew inside the stadium, both White and Vilhete had shots hooked off the line to keep it level.

But that all changed in the 70th minute as White was gifted his tenth goal of the season as a catastrophic mistake by Charlie O’Loughlin allowed him to stroke the ball past Russell in a one on one.

Although the strike was a worthy winner, the visitors battled back, and this time a break away goal started from Graeme Montgomery and rifled into the corner by Hutton, ensured the visitors took home a point. 

Wood were reduced to ten men when O’Loughlin was dismissed for repetitive back chat to the referee during the last ten minutes, but that had no bearing on the outcome.

Salisbury boss Darrell Clarke said: “It was frustrating to give away the goals we did and to come away with a draw, but we stay top of the league and keep our unbeaten run at home.”

The Whites head to Dover next Saturday October 20 (3pm).