BEAU MacDonald converted an 86th minute penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw for Southend United's under 19 side away at Dorking Wanderers.

MacDonald’s spot-kick secured a share of the spoils for Danny Heath’s side after a penalty by Dorking’s Paddi Harland-Goddard and a Seb Tauta-Caballero strike had overturned Jack Stone’s first-half opener for Blues.

A dramatic encounter ended with Stone being dismissed after the final whistle for the use of offensive, insulting or abusive language, with the disciplinary sanction set to rule him out of two upcoming encounters for the teenage Shrimpers.

Heath made a number of changes to the starting line-up with a host of squad members unavailable.

Thato Molefi was named in defence with Zak Hammond and Harrison Bradbury both injured, while Joshua Jackson and Archie McGonigle started in midfield. Obi Okafor partnered Stone in attack.

Jake Huet had been set to miss out as well, but Blues will have been pleased that he was fit enough to participate as he telegraphed an early Dorking attack and blocked Harland-Goddard’s effort from a square Luke Bejashvili pass in the sixth minute.

First-year MacDonald had been informed 24 hours previously that he would be wearing the captain’s armband, and he showed his value to the side in the 12th minute when he rifled home from Molefi’s pass.

Unfortunately his celebrations were cut short as the referee deemed he had controlled the ball with his hand on the edge of the penalty area.

Blues had another opportunity to score after a quarter-of-an-hour when Okafor brought the ball down and McGonigle’s rasping stroke was turned away by Harry Charlesworth in the Dorking goal.

He then gathered George Pulham’s follow-up before diving at full-stretch to save from Okafor in the 18th minute.

The pressure finally told in the 20th minute as Southend took a deserved lead. Jackson switched play from left to right and Joe Poxon’s pass then released Stone through the middle.

He poked the ball past Charlesworth and this time there was to be no denying the Shrimpers.

Bejashvili got the better of Huet as Dorking looked to level quickly, but he found Luke Cerullo in fine form and the Blues custodian made a good block with his legs before Noah Thomas curled the rebound over.

That was a rare nervous moment for Southend during the opening 35 minutes, and the visitors were aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty on 26 as Huet attempted to turn home McGonigle’s cross and Harland-Goddard appeared to handle the ball in the six-yard box to prevent it crossing the line.

Stone turned his marker to fire off target from the edge of the penalty area a couple of minutes later, whilst Thomas charged down a Pulham effort and Okafor guided a header over from the resultant corner on the half-hour mark.

Although Stone muscled his way through two defenders to fire inches over from McGonigle’s pass, Dorking began to create more openings and Blues had to be wary of their attacking threat.

Rahul Mungur directed a shot agonisingly across the face of goal on 29 minutes following a marauding run from left wing-back and Matt Hay saw an effort partially saved by Cerullo before blasting over shortly afterwards.

On 38 minutes Cerullo made another crucial stop to thwart Bejashvili as he attempted to convert from Tauta-Caballero’s centre, whilst Tauta-Caballero’s follow-up was deflected over.

The defence held firm to block a Thomas shot on 40 minutes and the half concluded with Cerullo brilliantly pushing the ball off Hay’s toecaps with the custodian’s intervention requiring to be exquisitely-timed.

Blues ended a breathless first half narrowly in front, but their goal immediately came under siege again early in the second period and Harland-Goddard angled a shot inches wide of the left-hand upright straight from the restart.

Molefi also diverted a Tauta-Caballero cross over, but Southend were unable to maintain their lead.

The equaliser arrived in the 50th minute after Cerullo had again performed heroics to keep out a close-range finish from Max Holland.

The referee pointed to the spot for an infringement by Huet, and Harland-Goddard made no mistake from 12 yards, steering his penalty just out of the reach of Cerullo’s left glove.

Momentarily it seemed as though Blues had ridden out the storm, and Poxon tested Charlesworth with a skidding shot from the ‘D’ before McGonigle sent a searing strike narrowly over the crossbar from 30 yards out.

However, on 64 minutes, Dorking took the lead for the first time as Tauta-Caballero timed his run to perfection to beat the offside trap and he then buried his finish into the centre of the net from the right-hand side of the penalty area.

To their credit, Southend maintained their belief, and Okafor forced Charlesworth to save just seconds later. Tauta-Caballero snatched at an opportunity to extend Dorking’s advantage, but Blues continued to attack and twice they felt frustrated not to be awarded decisions in and around the penalty area.

Firstly Stone appeared set to shoot when Neo Wooster’s challenge sent him to the turf inside the ‘D’, but the referee felt it was a fair tackle.

Seconds later MacDonald found Poxon on the right and his cross appeared to strike the arm of Mungur, but the officials remained unmoved.

Okafor almost levelled after connecting with Stone’s flick-on in the 81st minute, but despite getting the better of Frost, Charlesworth narrowed the angle by advancing off his goal-line and Okafor couldn’t keep his shot down as a result.

However, the forward played a key part as Southend did manage to equalise with just four minutes remaining.

Okafor was bundled over by Shomari-Nyack Thomas when a corner was recycled into the penalty area, and this time the referee awarded a spot-kick.

MacDonald coolly dispatched the penalty to make it 2-2.

The hosts could have snatched the victory late on, but Bejashvili turned a free-kick wide of the right-hand post, whilst MacDonald could have won all three points for Blues deep in stoppage time, but he was marshalled away from goal by Frost and the moment passed.

Southend could be satisfied with a draw, and they next host Woking at Bowers & Pitsea FC on Wednesday, kick-off 2pm.

Southend United U19s: Cerullo,  Jones, Huet, McGonigle, Molefi, Jackson (Shehu 67), Pulham (Blake 81), MacDonald, Stone, Okafor, Poxon.

Sub not used: Saponara.