A stoppage-time penalty meant we were forced to share the spoils with Boreham Wood in a 2-2 draw at Meadow Lane on Tuesday night.

Justin Shaibu had put the visitors ahead inside 15 minutes and, after a flat performance during the opening stages, we raised our level around the midpoint of the first half and got our just desserts when Kyle Wootton netted his first headed goal for the club on 31.

His second wasn't far behind as he connected with a Wes Thomas cross to complete the turnaround before the break. 

Despite a flurry of chances after half-time, we were unable to find a third but looked to be seeing the game out until Connell Rawlinson brought down Kabongo Tshimanga on 90 minutes and saw red. Sorba Thomas converted the spot-kick to deny us our first league win of November.

Neal Ardley made one change from the side that had suffered back-to-back losses, handing Sean Shields his first start since the beginning of the month. Regan Booty was the man to drop out.

The first chance of the game fell to visiting forward Tyrone Marsh, who was on target for the Wood at Meadow Park in our September victory.

Seven minutes in, Femi Ilesanmi picked up the pieces on the left and drove down the wing before crossing low, but Ben Turner outmuscled Kabongo Tshimanga to deny the striker a sniff at adding to his 12 for the season. The ball broke for Marsh, though, and his first-time shot required a strong left hand from Sam Slocombe to turn it past the post. 

Turner was called into defensive duty again on 14, when Shaibu found a yard of space in the box, but the big centre half made an important block.

It was only a brief let-off, though, as, moments later, the Brentford loanee was left unmarked to head home following Kane Smith's cross from the right, powering past Slocombe to give the Wood an early lead.

An immediate response was not forthcoming, and it wasn't until the 28th minute we really looked like unlocking the visitors' defence when a fine passing move led to Damien McCrory finding space on the left, but the Irishman slipped as he crossed and his delivery went harmlesly behind.

The same couldn't be said three minutes later when a similarly high-tempo move freed Richard Brindley on the opposite flank. He had time to compose himself before crossing and bent an inviting ball onto the head of Wootton, who nodded home the equaliser.

Shortly after Doyle was booked for a foul on Tshimanga, the Boreham Wood forward combined well with his strike partner as they played a one-two on the edge of the area. Slocombe rushed out to meet Marsh, who could only shoot wide of the near post.

Thomas was next to go close to altering the scoreline when he flashed a shot wide from just outside the area, and the striker turned provider on 42 minutes.

Industrious work on the left got him to the byline and he stood up a cross, which Wootton guided back across goal and into the top corner, with Nathan Ashmore helpless between the sticks.

We had the wind in our sails and went pouring forwards again in the moments that followed, with Shields winning a free-kick on the edge of the area. Brindley struck it into the wall but we recycled the ball out to Enzio Boldewijn, who beat his man before crossing towards Wootton, who was chasing his hat-trick. The striker hammered home as it dropped, but was penalised for a push on his marker.

Two minutes were added on for stoppages before referee Lewis Smith blew a half-time whistle that much of Meadow Lane didn't want to hear.

The interval did little to stop the momentum, though, with Shields seeing a low shot well blocked after cutting inside his man moments after the restart.

Rawlinson made an excellent sliding challenge on Wood's Thomas after he surged forward from left wing-back for the visitors before Boldewijn's whipped cross was headed over by our own Thomas on 53 minutes.

We had to withstand a spell of pressure, with Turner making several key challenges, before a fine save from Ashmore stopped us extending our lead.

It was Boldewijn calling him into action just after the hour, and his low left-footed shot from the edge of the box was pushed onto the upright by the keeper before rebounding away to safety.

Shields was looking lively and his cross picked out Wootton, who couldn't generate enough power in his header to complete his hat-trick. Then he tried his luck himself after bursting around the outside of his man, but Ashmore held onto his high shot.

Thomas went into the book for a sliding challenge on Smith shortly before he made way for Nathan Tyson on 78 minutes, and Booty came on for Shields with five to play.

Tyson's first real involvement came moments after the second substitution, firing a bouncing ball into the area which Boldewijn couldn't keep down as we looked to open up a two-goal cushion.

And, as four minutes of added time were indicated, we were made to pay for our spurned chances when Tshimanga got in behind and Rawlinson's desperate lunge was punished. Thomas beat Slocombe, who had gone the right way, from 12 yards.

The remaining moments passed by with little incident and we were forced to settle for a point.