Farnham Town 0, Tooting Bec 1

AFTER a long run at the top of the table, Farnham Town’s failure to be more clinical in front of goal cost them dear on Saturday.

Town only forced the visiting goalkeeper to make one save as Tooting Bec belied their relatively lowly league position to seal a 1-0 win.

And in doing so they forced Town to relinquish top spot in Division One of the Combined Counties League.

It was a brisk but bright and sunny afternoon at the Memorial Ground and the sun shone down as the teams and spectators respectfully observed a minute’s silence in honour of former Town player Ray Clarke. The club stalwart sadly passed away last week, aged 71, after losing his battle with cancer.

When the game got under way, the home side had a decent early chance to bounce back following their 1-0 home defeat against AC London seven days earlier but Jayden Englefield’s lobbed shot was tipped wide of the post by the fingertips of Tooting’s Zdenek Macacek.

And with the game just minutes old, the visitors capitalised on some sloppy defending at the other end, both down the right and in the centre of defence, minus centre-half kay Conteh who was missing through suspension. The ball loose bounced around and fell to Panikoc Oritis, who struck it first time, right-footed and left the net bulging.

At the other end, Town’s Bruce Harper arrived late to head Kylo Atkinson’s inswinging cross goal-bound and forced a good save out of Tooting stopper Macacek, although it was probably heading wide. And seconds earlier, down the other end in a seesaw game, Kieran Patel fired a shot goalbound which was well blocked by the covering Jamie Phillips.

Town goalkeeper Stuart Norman, who came straight back into the fold following a short sabbatical overseas, was soon called into action. Wiltshire had a decent crack of the whip with his shot forcing a block from Harper that fizzed out for a corner. The subsequent corner was swung to the back post and was met by Oritis, who was proving to be a handful for the Farnham defence, forcing a save from Norman.

As the visitors continued to threaten, Town managed to clear their lines from a dangerous delivery as Tooting turned the screw and an unmarked header flew inches over the bar from a corner which landed in the danger zone.

Town came within a whisker of equalising in the 41st minute after Muctaru Conteh turned his man and crossed for James Flynn who headed it down for a team-mate, but his shot flirted with the wrong side of the post.

And there was still time before the break for a game of pinball in the Farnham defence which allowed Tooting’s Mbango a shot at goal which Norman had to be alert to punch clear.

Any hope that the interval would see a reversal in fortunes was wiped out swiftly as the visitors had the ball in the net within minutes of play resuming, but after careful scrutiny by the referee’s assistant on the near side the effort was disallowed for offside.

Shortly after, Town’s Harper was left dazed after awkwardly heading over his own crossbar from goalscorer Oritis’ effort.

As the game approached the 65th minute, Town’s Sean Evans was fortunate to escape being sent for an early shower following a rash challenge on Tooting’s Ed Mbango. Not only were the crowd left baffled that he had escaped being sent off or given a caution, the referee didn’t even whistle for a foul.

Relieved at the let off Farnham, chased an equaliser and a spectacular strike from Max Meaton sailed high and wide

Changes were made by both sides as the match wore on, with Farnham desperate to get something out of the game. Jordan Page, Nick Medcraft and Otis Taylor provided fresh legs for an increasingly frustrated home side.

And as Town pushed forward in search of an equaliser they invariably left holes at the back and in a nervy ending for the home side, Norman rushed out into no-man’s land, allowing Tooting’s Ogidi to go for the chip, but his effort was watched behind for a goal kick by substitute Taylor.

At the final whistle, news filtered through that, due to results elsewhere, Farnham dropped to third in Division One and all concerned were left frustrated after conceding on the back of some sloppy defending. The one plus point was that Tooting could and should have recorded a more comfortable win, so Town’s goal difference remains almost worth an extra point.

On Saturday, Town host FC Deportivo Galicia at the Memorial Ground. Town will wear a change kit with a poppy in honour of Remembrance Day and there will be a two-minute silence before kick off.

Farnham Town: Norman, Meaton, L Medcraft, Phillips, Harper, Evans (Taylor 83), Atkinson, Flynn (N Medraft 58), M Conteh, Englefield, Cardona (Page 76). Subs (not used): Falvey, Moore.