Despite taking an early lead United found themselves two adrift with just five minutes remaining but showed true grit to keep pushing and found the net twice in the dying minutes to earn a point with most in attendance feeling we played our “get out of jail free” card successfully.

The gaffer announced five new signings this week with four starting and one on the bench as Michael Fernandes lined up against his former employers.

An early look at the hosts potential aerial bombardment came in the sixth minute as a long throw was heaved into the middle of the United area, a scramble to clear ensued with the ball dropping to former United man Elis Watts in front of goal, his sliced shot being cleared away in front of goal by Cole Brown.

Ten minutes later with United’s first real sortie into the Crusaders box saw a neat back-heel from Michael Fernandes find fellow debutant Ronan Silva who went down courtesy of a nudge in the back and after a short deliberation referee Billingham pointed to the spot. Sam Ashton stepped up and fired home to give United the lead.

On 24 minutes a superbly placed cross field pass from home skipper Rhys Tyler picked out Adulai Sambu, his low centre being well cleared in the six yard box by a combination of Jacob Adams and Connor Stevens with the home strike force closing in quickly.

Soon after veteran striker Connor McDonagh was played through but he was denied as Adams spread himself well to touch the effort wide with the resulting corner being cleared away.

In the 33rd minute the hosts struck a deserved equaliser as another long bomb was thrown into the United box, a headed clearance falling nicely to Jack Alexander who rifled in a shot that Adams got a hand to but couldn’t keep out.

Two minutes of the original 45 remained as United broke forwards with Fernandes who collected a Silva pass on the right side, his low driven cross being parried and grabbed by Crusaders stopper Ryan Clarke with three United runners coming at him.

The deadlock was broken in the fifth and final minute of first half added time when multiple shots were blocked as the ball ran around in the United box, it eventually dropped to Brad Hooper, Adams pushed his drive away but only to Sambu who fired his team ahead seconds before the whistle went to end the half.

United were undone again quickly after the break and once again it was a ball in the box from a corner that hung around without being properly cleared, eventually finding McDonagh who headed home from close range.

Just three minutes later it could have been even worse as Watts broke away on the right, cut inside and fired past Adams only to be denied by the upright as the ball came back into play off the far post enabling the United defence to clear.

Still the aerial bombardment continued and just before the hour mark another Crusaders corner was met in the middle by an unmarked McDonagh but thankfully for the visitors Brown was well placed to clear away off the goal line.

Manager Ritchie Hanlon then threw in his fifth debutant Norman Wabo along with Amos Nasha in place of Ashton and Johnny Allotey as he looked to push forwards to try and recover something from the game.

Nasha was quickly in action as he was found on the edge by a Silva pull back but the midfielder lifted his shot too much and the effort flew over without troubling Clarke.

United created another opening on 74 minutes when Wabo collected the ball on the right flank, he raced down the wing before cutting inside and squaring the ball to Silva who blazed over from the edge of the box.

With four minutes to play United, who in fairness never let their heads drop, pulled one back. Fernandes found space inside the left corner of the Crusaders box, his shot had the sting taken out of it by a defenders touch but Wabo was first to the loose ball and forced it home from close range however Clarke will be most disappointed to be beaten as his touch was not enough to stop the ball trickling home.

Three minutes later it was 3-3, again Fernandes was the catalyst as his forward run allowed him to feed the ball to Silva who this time struck the ball sweetly from the edge of the box and it flew past Clarke to nestle in the bottom corner to earn United a point that even the most optimistic fan could not have seen coming with five minutes to play.