Hosting their first home game of the season Team BTC/BTFC welcomed a table topping Salisbury City FC u18 squad to College Way this week, who have had some impressive early results to the start of their campaign.

However, game week 3 started well for the home side, as they took an early foothold in the game by pressing Salisbury all over the pitch and had the first chance of the game after 15 minutes when Keelan Gunningham combined with Nash Eastwood down the right and from 4 yards out saw the visiting keeper make a terrific near post block from with his legs as everyone anticipated the opening goal from Gunningham.

Not to be outdone, Harrison Buller, making his Team BTC/BTFC debut in the home goal, made a similarly miraculous save, as Salisbury broke on the counter and forced a corner, with the resulting cross witnessing a goal mouth scramble that required Buller's full reaction skills to parry the ball away from danger.

Team BTC/BTFC should have then taken the lead through Kieran Ireland, as he collected a fine pass from Jordan Lovibond who raced clear down the left hand side and Ireland smashed the ball past the flailing Salisbury keeper only to see a defenders leg hook the ball off the goal line in another brilliant goal saving clearance.

This kept Salisbury in the game and the home team paid the price as an uncontested cross from deep allowed their striker to guide the ball past Buller from 8 yards, to push the league leaders ahead in the game.

Aggrieved to be behind after such a good start, the home team pushed forward in the closing stages of the first half and Ireland latched onto a through ball from Harry Hamblin and as he pushed the ball past the advancing keeper he was fouled and Ireland subsequently picked himself up and confidently slotted the ball home to bring the score line level.

In the dying seconds of the first half Salisbury could have re-taken the lead as substitute Spencer Kirkpatrick, who replaced the injured captain and centre back, Reece Malcolm, slipped in his challenge and the Salisbury striker saw his edge of the box shot crash against the post and fall into the arms of the grateful Buller.

The second half saw Salisbury push forward more, but the game sparked into life in the 65th minute as Gunningham and Eastwood combined again down the right flank and Eastwood's trickery took him to the by line and his pin point cross saw Liam Winter side foot home into an empty net, with his first touch in the game as he had replaced Lovibond moments earlier.

Salisbury were stung into action and wanting to preserve their unbeaten start to the season attacked with fervour against a Team BTC/BTFC back line that had to be re-shuffled once more, as Kirkpatrick left the field with an injury to his elbow and midfielder Jai Nevison came on at right back.

The equaliser was a finely placed free kick that negated the defensive wall and went straight past the unsighted Buller to settle into the keepers right hand side of the goal, to make it 2 – 2.

Both teams were desperate to get all 3 points and as the game became stretched in the final minutes, the best chance fell to Eastwood who moved to a more central position after striker Niall Carr was replaced by Fin Giblet, and after a mazy run saw his left foot strike from 20 yards crash against the cross bar, to relief of the Salisbury keeper and to the angst of the home side.

Manager Tom Sage said,

“This was again a very good performance from all of the players today and it's that consistency and focus that is pleasing to see. We are disappointed again about only gaining a point from today's match against the current table toppers and that shows how the players are developing and adapting to this level of competition in this league. We wish Salisbury all the best for the coming season and we are now looking forward to next weeks cup match against Swindon.”