A late Ethan Slater goal rescued Exmouth Town a point against Mousehole, at a chilly Complete Infrastructure Stadium.

Slater, making his first appearance since recovering from an injury suffered last season, bundled the ball over the line with just a minute to go in stoppage time.

Mousehole could and should have killed the game off after Hayden Turner’s early goal, but a combination of poor finishing and the excellent Frankie Phillps meant that the spoils were shared.

Exmouth got a taste of how the game was going to go early on, as Ross Denham was allowed in behind, but a recovering Karl Riddell denied his cross from reaching Timothy Nixon.

It would not take long for them to open the scoring, as Town were caught asleep at the back, and Turner was played in behind, and he blasted the ball past Phillips.

Neither side were able to truly get going for the next 20 after the goal, with both teams threatening to create, but no one could find the pass required to break a defence down.

Exmouth would get one of few efforts on target before the half hour mark, as a soft Mike Landricombe header was easily collected by Oliver Chenoweth.

The visitors should have been 2-0 up moments later, as Julien Fernandez Carrasco’s cross found an unmarked Oliver Challinor, and with just Joe Belsten to beat, the winger fired over the bar.

Exmouth found themselves frustrated, and picked up two consecutive bookings for dissent.

This would unfortunately not spark a Town resurgence, and the Cornish side would come the closest to scoring, with Turner firing a free kick against the crossbar.

It was very close to being two for the visitors in added time, as Challinor took a shot from outside the box first time, which then took a slight deflection, forcing Phillips into a superb fingertip save.

Exmouth started the second half, as they played the first, not particularly well.

The visitors would have two chances in the first five minutes, with Riddell and Morison combining to block a Challinor shot, before Turner had a shot straight at Phillips.

Town’s young shot stopper was kept busy, and a wonderful pass saw Denham through on goal, where he was denied by another incredible save from the Exeter City loanee.

Mousehole were in the ascendancy, and playing some really nice football, with Nixon firing a ball across goal which had no takers, then moments later, Phillips had to react to a snapshot from a visiting attacker.

Exmouth were having no joy in the attacking third, with the away side crowding out any attempt to put a move together, with Morison’s ambitious long range shot being the first Town effort of the half.

A loose Ollie Knowles pass had the hosts in trouble, as Nixon intercepted and went in on goal, but Riddell worked hard to close the angle and make it an easy shot for the goalkeeper to save.

Once again, Exmouth should have been two down with 12 minutes to go, as Torin Ntege raced through on goal before cutting back in, with Phillips being on hand to deny the substitute from finding the back of the net.

Ace High, looking for his 141st goal for Town, had a half-chance from a corner, although he was always off-balance while shooting, which made it easy for Chenoweth.

Mousehole continued to miss gilt-edged chances as the game reached the final five, starting with Ntege floating the ball across the box to an unmarked Ryan Tressider, who put his header directly at a grateful Phillips.

Ntege would then have another go himself, as he got in behind the Town defence, but Joe Belsten recovered excellently to block his effort.

Phillips was forced into one more save, denying a shot from the left hand side.

As the game petered out, and Exmouth thankful to the goalkeeper for keeping the score down, Isaac McCue found himself in space on the edge of the box, and his cross caused problems for the visitors, which led an unmarked Slater to sneak in at the backpost and bundle the ball over the line.

It was a wonderful moment for the midfielder, who has battled back from a long spell out, and was rewarded with some fantastic scenes to end the game.

Town can not afford to allow as many chances in their next game, but picking up a point against one of the league’s best teams, no matter how you play is a sign of the growing resolve at the Complete Infrastructure Stadium.

Exmouth will head back onto the road on Saturday, when they play Didcot Town, aiming to continue a strong end to October.

ATTENDANCE: 200

LINE-UP: Phillips, Cann, Belsten, Landricombe, Riddell, Morison (High, 76), Knowles, Shipton (McCue, 84), Iseguan (Billingsley, 45), Griffith (Slater, 82), Bath.

SUBS NOT USED: Thorne.