Rarely has your reporter watched a game of two such distinct halves. Wimborne totally dominated the first as Joe Smith and Josh Carmichael gave The Magpies a seemingly game-winning lead. However, manager Danny Edwards and his Uxbridge team had other ideas as they totally dominated the second to deservedly take a point and maintain their unbeaten start to life at Step 3.

In the absence of Will Fletcher and Lewis Williams, manager Tim Sills made two changes to his starting XI who had played so well against Havant & Waterlooville on Tuesday. Joes Ryan and Smith, who both came off the bench to score that evening, earned the right to start.

On a hot afternoon, Wimborne seized the initiative from the first whistle. Sam Jackson curled a probing ball down the inside-left channel for Cam Munn, Billy Walker’s tackle stopped The Reds’ (playing in blue) first attack, before Joe Smith unsettled his defenders as he chased another of Jackson’s cleverly aimed passes, and Josh McQuoid leapt prodigiously to start another attack. But all of Wimborne’s possession around the visitors’ penalty area hadn’t produced an attempt on goal until the 14th minute. Josh Carmichael found McQuoid who slipped the ball through to Joe Smith on the edge of the goal area. The ball seemed to bobble as he took aim, completely wrong-footing keeper Scott who could only watch as the ball rolled into the net.

Wimborne surged forward sensing more. Joe Ryan’s ambitious shot from the right from Carmichael’s pass whistled past the far post; Cam Plain’s long clearance was headed on by Smith for Ryan to try again – same result; Carmichael’s free-kick from wide on the right was headed behind by a defender; Smith’s snap-shot earned another corner; Munn and Max Bustamante combined to set up Smith for another shot, resulting in another corner. Then on the half-hour mark, Ryan’s thirty-five yard floated free-kick was headed home by the leaping Carmichael to double the lead. Billy Walker met Ryan’s corner at the far post but couldn’t get enough power on it to worry the keeper, and Smith, with just one thing on his mind, missed the target with another shot. It was such a one-sided half that the points seemed secure.

But football’s a “funny old game” and 2-0 is a funny old score, and Uxbridge manager Danny Edwards had 15 minutes to turn things around. And he and his team, with the help of an immediate triple substitution, did just that.

The visitors forced the first corner after the interval in strange circumstances. Drew Eccott-Young stopped a cross from the left by-line with a crunching sliding tackle. He received a nasty cut on his head, while the Uxbridge player received a yellow card for inflicting it. Referee Whittington awarded a corner, not a free-kick, and made the bandaged full-back stay off the pitch. Uxbridge took full advantage as Nwachuku rose highest at the far post to head home.

Now the whole momentum of the game changed, and it was the visitors who dominated possession. Twice Plain had to rush out of his area to deal with through balls; a slick move down the Uxbridge right ended with a fierce shot but at a comfortable height for the shot-stopper; a free-kick from the top of the “D” was blocked by Wimborne’s defensive wall; McQuoid raced back to come to the aid of his busy back-line with a clearance; and Nnadozie could only shoot straight at the keeper when gifted the ball in the penalty area. On 74 minutes a cross from the right struck Jackson, and the referee instantly pointed to the spot. Tack rifled the ball into the net with as good a penalty as you’ll see all season to equalise.

Both teams created opportunities to grab a winner. For Wimborne Carmichael led a swift counter-attack with Smith inches away from his cross; McQuoid made space to fire wide of the far post; and the energetic Seuny was dragged to the floor in the penalty area. Uxbridge did have the ball in the net again in the 85^th minute from a headed cross but the eagle-eyed linesman ruled it out for off-side; and Walker made a crucial block. In the final moments of the seven minutes added-on, Plain’s free-kick forced a last corner. But the referee called time before it could be taken.

Any point at this level is a good one, although both teams and their supporters will think they could have had all three. Credit to Edwards and his team for turning things around, and in the end a draw was a fair result. But you can’t afford to give up a two-goal lead too often in this tough division.

Wimborne: Plain, Eccott-Young (Roundell-Prince 69), Walker, Scorey, Jackson, McQuoid, Carmichael, Munn (Seuny 69), Bustamante, Ryan (Richardson 76), Smith

Unused subs: Borges, Rodwell

Attendance: 562

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