David McGoldrick's first-half equaliser handed us a creditable draw against League One opposition in our final pre-season run-out.
The forward volleyed the ball home after Dan Udoh had given the hosts the lead earlier in the half.
Macaulay Langstaff and Will Randall were left out with minor injuries and new loan signing Ollie Tipton was also absent from the squad having only recently returned from a pre-season trip with parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Tipton joined Junior Morias, who’s progressing well in his recovery, in a pre-match training session on the Croud Meadow pitch.
Langstaff’s absence meant a start up front for Cedwyn Scott – and he had the ball in the net inside seven minutes, heading John Bostock’s cross home only to see the assistant raise his flag for offside.
We were behind six minutes later after Dan Crowley failed to control an awkward pass into him, allowing Dan Udoh to drive through the middle of the pitch before finding the bottom corner with a shot from the edge of the area.
It didn’t take us long to get a hold of the game, though, and moments after he’d sent a long-range effort wide, McGoldrick volleyed us level when Scott nodded Jodi Jones’ cross down for him inside the area.
It was proving to be a very impressive performance from McGoldrick, who led a three-on-one counter-attack on 32 minutes. He delayed his pass to Crowley, who in turn tried to square for Scott. He got a little too much on his pass, though, and the forward’s shot from a tight angle was diverted behind.
We continued to dominate as the half neared its conclusion and so nearly had a delightful second goal when Bostock played a pinpoint through ball to match the run of McGoldrick. On a blustery day, however, the ball appeared to be carried a little by the wind and it ran agonisingly into Marko Marosi’s grateful grasp.
Shortly after the commencement of the second half, we were the ones breathing a sigh of relief as Udoh struck the crossbar from close range following a corner.
Our response came from Aaron Nemane, who did brilliantly to escape down the right before seeing penalty appeals waved way when he went down under a challenge in the area.
Shortly after the hour we made a double substitution as Bostock and Richard Brindley made way for Tobi Adebayo-Rowling and Sam Austin.
And the changes seemed to briefly unsettle us as Ryan Bowman, who moments earlier had turned a cross wide, drew two good saves from Aidan Stone and Carl Winchester sent a shot inches wide.
A flurry of further subs followed and, with McGoldrick now playing as an out-and-out striker, the forward chested home a brilliant Adebayo-Rowling cross only to see the offside flag raised.
And the forward was denied twice again following lovely pieces of control, seeing a low shot and then an attempted lob saved by Marosi in the final goalmouth action of an entertaining game.
STARTING XI: Stone; Cameron, Rawlinson (Baldwin 78'), Brindley (Adebayo-Rowling 62'); Jones (Chicksen 78'), Nemane (O'Brien 78'); Bostock (Austin 62'), Palmer, McGoldrick, Crowley; Scott (Bajrami 78')
SUBS: Slocombe