With 83 minutes played, United found themselves staring down the barrel of a disappointing defeat, but goals from Nik Chamberlain, debutant Max Hollobone and Toby Clifford completed the turnaround as Tobi Hutchinson’s side climbed to 8th in the SCFL Premier Division.
United began the game brightly, with the returning Liam Baitup threatening the visiting goal with an effort from the edge of the area that just passed the outside of the post.
It wasn’t to be one way traffic however, as the former United duo of Howard Davey and Drew Greenall combined before the latter hit a right footed effort over the bar when well placed in the area.
Less than a minute later however, the same duo combined as Davey crossed low from the left for Greenall who put the ball past James Broadbent.
The visitors lead would only last ten minutes before Liam Painter’s cross was headed back across goal and into the path of Pete Cooper who pulled United level.
Painter then saw an effort from distance gathered by visiting ‘keeper Nick Collick before Uckfield regained the lead as Lewis Parsons headed past Broadbent.
A third visiting goal came just after the half hour mark as an attempted clearance from Broadbent was intercepted by Davey, who proceeded past the United ‘keeper and hit an effort goalwards that hit the far post, but Greenall was on hand to fire in the rebound and silence The Oval.
The closest United came to a response in the opening 45 minutes came through Chamberlain, who saw his header saved at the near post by Collick.
Half time saw Clifford brought on to replace Painter as United went in search of a way back into the game.
Max Hollobone grew in to the game as it went on, with his array of passing causing the visitors problems. It was from a Hollobone corner that United saw their next best effort, as Collick could only punch as far as Jamie Bunn on the edge of the area who unleashed a left footed half volley that was clawed off the line.
Broadbent made a smart save to deny another former United player, Steve Dallaway, at his near post before United went agonisingly close to scoring as Chamberlain glanced a header off the crossbar following an angled ball from Hollobone.
With seven minutes of regular time remaining, United found their way back into the game as Chamberlain rose highest in the area to head past Collick.
The goal brought a sense of anticipation and belief at The Oval and with 92 minutes played, Hollobone let fly from distance and his powerful effort swerved away from the grasp of Collick and into the top corner of the net to jubilant scenes on and off the pitch.
There still proved to be time for United to find a winner that looked unlikely after 30 minutes as Baitup beat Collick to a high cross from Ginno, and with the ball running loose in the area Clifford was on hand to rifle to ball into the back of the net an complete a memorable comeback in the fifth minute of time added on and wrap up a pulsating tie.