Brad Wells was back from his one game suspension and Gerome Palmer returned having come through his groin injury.
Another new face added to Chris Jones last week was Scott Low, making his début in goal.
United lined up with a back 4 of Jones, Palmer, Rickford and Boafo. Parker sitting just in front as a defensive midfield.
Hollis in the middle with Wells and Watkis on the flanks. Watkis making his first start in months since his big injury.
Nightingale and Kieran Wells up front.

The Blues took the game to their hosts immediately and was on top from the first whistle.
Both Hollis and Nightingale had half chances in the first 60 seconds. The former miscuing his shot 18 yards out with Nightingale having his effort blocked from a tight angle on the right.
The bright start was quickly turned on its head however as Watkis was deemed to have fouled a Loughborough player 25 yards out. The free kick was well taken by Poxon but it would be a wicked deflection that would see the ball take a path beyond Low in goal. The hosts had the lead after 107 seconds.

United didn't let the early setback get to them and they continued to press through the midfield. In the 7th minute Kieran Wells almost got the leveler. Nightingale who worked hard all game had the left backs chasing, as he got to the byline the covering defender stopped the cross so TJ opted to play in Boafo who was overlapping. Boafo delivered the ball to the front post where Kieran Wells controlled well and got away a volleyed shot. The keeper at full stretch managed to collect and hold on well.

There were worries from the bench and stand in the 11th minute, a long ball down the right had a Uni player charging through, Low had it covered and as he went down to collect the Uni player pushed Rickford which sent him flying into Low. Attention was needed to both players but thankfully they were both able to continue. Miles Davis for Loughborough received a yellow.

Kieran Wells had another chance in the 17th minute. Having won a throw midway in the Boro half Boafo took it to Parker he had time to bring the ball forward and send it to the back post where Kieran Wells was waiting. Unfortunately he couldn't get the downward direction on the headed attempt and the ball went well over the bar.

There was a period of 5 minutes that was rather scrappy, both sides failing to keep hold of the ball however it was still played in the hosts half. In the 23rd minute a scramble in the Boro penalty area saw Nightingale get the ball taken off him just before he was about to score, Kieran Wells shot was parried by the hosts keeper and then in the follow up Bradley Wells was deflected out for a throw. It was becoming apparent that Lady Luck hadn't made the trip with the Blues.

Kieran Wells went inches to getting the equaliser in the 28th minute, Nightingale was once again tearing down the right and put in a fantastic low ball into the box, Kieran at full stretch was sliding in but he couldn't make a connection and the ball flew across the face of the goal.

United would draw level in the 30th minute. From a long ball, Gerome Palmer tidied up at the back and passed to Hollis, the midfielder got his head down and went past no less than 5 Loughborough players before playing a neat 1,2 with Kieran Wells. Hollis side footed the ball towards goal and although the hosts keeper got fingertips to it he couldn't keep it out and it was 1-1.

The game continued with the Blues having much of the play, the hosts restricted to break away's. In the 40th minute Nightingale went agonisingly close to get the Blues in front. Brad Wells was under pressure down the left wing but managed to get a cross in. A Uni defender cleared but only as far as Nightingale 16 yards out, the striker hit a curling left foot shot which flicked up off a defenders leg and with the goal keeper unable to get across the ball bounced just the wrong side of the post and out for a corner.

The resulting corner gave United another chance, well taken by Hollis Parker was the first up and connected well with a good header. With a couple of the United players expecting it to go in it skimmed the left hand post which signalled almost all the United players to put their hands on their heads!

The remaining 3 or 4 minutes were still United's but they couldn't convert any more possession into chances.

Into the 2nd and it was the hosts once more who had the first real attempt on goal in the 49th. Loughborough's number 10 was allowed time 40 yards out to hit a very well taken shot which had Low diving off to his right. It was a very good save especially with a hosts attacker following up the shot.

The Blues would take the lead in the 53rd minute from another Holis' corner. The corner itself was won by Kieran Wells the striker simply wouldn't give up on a ball in the box, marked by 2 defenders he cleverly played the ball off one of them out for the flack kick. Hollis once again sent in a great cross and Parker made up for the missed chance earlier with a screamer of a header into the roof of the net.
Almost straight from the restart the Blues were on the attack again and Jones managed to deliver a ball to the right hand post under pressure. Nightingale got to it and allowed it to drop before hitting a cross-shot, Brad Wells was waiting in the middle and it took a great save from the Loughborough keeper to deny United a third.

The Blues were rampant and in the 58th minute Watkis went close. Having done all the work himself he won the ball in the middle of the park laying it to Jones, he played the return where Watkis attempted to chip in Brad Wells, a defender blocked the pass but it fell invitingly to Watkis who shot first time. However it swerved away at the last moment just wide of the left hand post.

Cooper-Richards came on for Bradley Wells in the 60th with United still on top, looking to control the game and play at their own pace.

The game moved over into its final quarter and Loughborough were beginning to see more of the ball, Parker had a speculative effort in the 75th minue but from 45 yards the ball sailed well over the bar.

It took good defending from Jones and Palmer to prevent the hosts levelling in the 78th minute, the very quick number 9 was sent down the right wing, but United's defenders had it covered and between cleared the danger.

The chance seemed to give the hosts more optimism and they now started to move the play into the United half, Charlie Palmer then moved to change the front options with Lee Fell on for Kieran Wells.
The Blues still had the majority of possession but it was now more in the centre of the pitch, the hosts breaking in numbers.

As the match moved into the final 5 minutes Jermain Hollis could have wrapped the game up, good work by Nightingale down the right saw a brilliant setup for Hollis 30 yards out, Hollis blasted the ball and it missed the post by a matter of inches.

With the game seemingly running away from Loughborugh the home side levelled. The hosts won the ball on the left hand side and kept hold of it for their longest period of the match, the Blues stood off and allowed the ball to be threaded through to Miles Davis who slotted past Low in goal.

Uni then played the game out for the remaining 3 minutes to leave the game all square. It was a real sucker punch that having had the ball for much of the match the Blues let it slip right at the end.