Report
Relegation battles do not come any harder than this and it is only teams with true character that win through. Tooting had not lost in their last 8 league matches and felt they were in line for a second place in the promotion race. The Lilywhites had other ideas and gained a valuable point in an amazing fight back led by Tommy Lee. Depleted by the unavailable Scotchmer, Reilly, Notley and Dormer, the Lilywhites were not phased by their high flying opponents.
Jermaine Hughes, starting on the right, managed to show his marker Brady a clean pair of heels a number of times as the Lilywhites controlled the opening encounters and took the game to the opponents. On 14 minutes Hughes was brought down inside the Toting penalty area. The referee made the first of many inexplicable decisions and did not even acknowledge anything untoward. Tilley (who had another excellent game) was booked over the incident and it was to be a long wait for a decision to go the way of the visitors. This somehow gave a fillip to Tooting eho went straight up to the Lilywhites area and nearly scored.
Tooting gained the momentum and the next fifteen minutes of exchanges saw a game flowing and ebbing from end to end. Tooting took the lead on 31 minutes when Rootes collected the ball in what looked to be an offside position. The Lilywhites’ defence was momentarily static waiting for the lines (man, assistant ref, person, thing [strike aout the words which don’t apply or add your own word if you like]) to raise his flag. Rootes was fast and skilful. He skated into the penalty area, took two steps and shot home low to Curtis’ right.
The next opening should have fallen to the Lilywhites when Tooting’s Symes gave a short 3 yard back pass to his keeper. Inexplicably, play was wave on. Tooting then got their second goal on 43 minutes when a difficult hard cross, in the Lilywhites’ penalty area was not cleared. Kane was on hand to shoot home from 8 yards.
Starting the second half two down to a table topping team must seem like having a mountain to climb. The Lilywhites had brought their oxygen, rope and pitons. However, they had to defend with a great deal of guts before they could start to haul themselves up that ice face. The next free kick we won saw the kick taken with the wall only five metres away. No advantage there then. On 60 minutes, the Lilywhites won a free kick ten yards outside the Tooting area. Most would have expected Tilley to take the kick. Not this time. Tommy Lee took two steps and lashed the ball into the net. The shot took the slightest of deflections, that was our luck: it was an indirect free kick!
The Lilywhites saw that the Tooting defence was creaking. Lee, Whybrow, Fletcher and Hughes began to take on the home side and really take the game to them. Within ten minutes they were on equal terms. It was Lee again who was in the thick of things. Hiding himself in the home side’s penalty area (how I don’t know) he rose to head a deep cross, the goalkeeper was beaten but the ball rebounded from the Tooting upright. Spencer Fletcher was first on the scene and bundled the ball home.
With only ten minutes to go, Tooting regained the lead. A flowing move up the right wing and another difficult cross and Kane was once more on hand to fire home. One would have thought that the Lilywhites were dead and buried. Not so! There was no way they’d lay down. Back on the attack again and Neil Morgan rose to head towards the Tooting goal. Tony Webb dived higher than ever to push the ball over the bar. A corner taken: nothing. The next move and a cross is sent over to Tommy Lee waiting at the same place as before. No mistake. The header bangs against the back of the net. A totally, totally deserved point.