CHERTSEY TN 3, FARNHAM TN 2

NOTHING goes right for you when you’re down. Relegation-threatened Farnham seemed to have done enough to gain a valuable point at Chertsey on Tuesday night, only to be sunk by a deflected shot in the dying moments.

Defeat in a game of two halves leaves Town deeper in the mire in the Combined Counties Premier League. They had the chance to build on a promising second-half display against Hanworth in their last game, but Paul Bonner – appointed manager for the rest of the season after the resignation of Paul Tanner – was forced to make several changes.

Centre-half Jordan Stepney played up front alongside Jack Dillon in a new formation and the recently returned Sean Evans slotted into the defence.

It seemed to work as a fired-up Farnham launched wave after wave of attacks, showing the energy, intensity and commitment that has been sorely lacking in recent times.

They had already come close to scoring through Dillon and Stepney when they took the lead on 19 minutes. Relentless pressure forced the home defence into a mistake and the ball was squared for Dillon to hammer home.

Chertsey continued at sixes and sevens and Farnham looked completely in control when they doubled the lead soon after. Stepney, after cutting out Joe Jones’ dangerous pass across the area, played the ball out wide to Elliott Cardona who whipped in a delightful cross for Dillon to score his second goal with a bullet header.

The visitors could have put the game out of sight as further openings fell to Stan Staines, Nick Medcraft, Dillon and Stepney, who was excelling in his unfamiliar role. But Farnham’s utter dominance was rewarded with only a two-goal cushion at the interval – it proved not to be enough.

Farnham have been blighted by poor second-half displays and conceding late goals. Despite playing possibly their best 45 minutes of the season, the curse was to strike again.

They resumed brightly enough and still looked the better side, despite Jordan Stepney having to drop back into defence when brother Josh came on to replace the injured Evans.

Farnham were again on the attack when left-back Tom Smith, pushing forward, was dispossessed and Chertsey exploited the lack of cover with lightning speed and excellent interplay. Jack Battie’s through-pass sent Connor Cullen racing clear. Goalkeeper Adrian Giles was caught in two minds whether to come or stay and Cullen cut the ball back on to his left foot and smashed it inside the near post.

Chertsey’s tails were up, while you could sense the doubt seeping back into Farnham’s play. Just five minutes later, substitute Joe Adoo-Peters played a precise through-pass and although Giles this time raced off his line, Michael Philip-Ogbuogu got there just before him and poked the ball into the back of the net. All square at 2-2.

It was an excellent advert for Combined Counties football as the play swung from end to end at high pace. Dillon saw a thunderous volley acrobatically tipped round the post and, at the other end, an equally agile Giles pushed a free-kick over the crossbar.

It became increasingly feisty, but a point apiece would have been a fair result.

Then, two minutes into injury time, Chertsey won a free-kick. There seemed a clear push on Jordan Stepney as the ball was played in, but the referee chose to give a corner and booked Meaton for dissent.

An unsettled Farnham cleared the corner only as far as Kaden North whose instant shot took a deflection off the luckless Medcraft and beat the wrong-footed Giles. Heartbreak for Town.

Farnham will hope for further support from their faithful followers when they make their first trip to CB Hounslow’s new ground this Saturday.

• Badshot Lea host Cove – bottom of the CCL Division?One – at Camberley’s Krooner Park tomorrow (Friday). On Tuesday (March 13), the Baggies visit leaders Worcester Park in a re-arranged fixture.