Guildford City slipped to a narrow 2-1 defeat against Balham in the Combined Counties Premier Division South.

Balham started the game strongly. Nevertheless, City did have an early opportunity when Darnell Jon-Peter’s acrobatic volley attempt was thwarted under pressure.

Balham were working hard off the ball and despite City’s attractive passing game they weren’t making significant headway. On 23 minutes Luca Le Page unleashed a fierce 30-yarder that Balham keeper James Smith saved routinely.

Then against the momentum of the game Guildford scored. Manny Acheampong did well on the left and found Jon-Peter just outside the box. Jon-Peter found a better angle and drilled a low shot into the corner of the net.

On the half hour Balham won a free kick on the edge of the box. Samuele Pagano hit the ball sweetly enough, but it cannoned wide off the outside of the post.

City keeper Alex Stingelin got down low to save another effort, but he could do nothing about Rob White’s close-range effort just before the interval which made it 1-1.

With reinforcements off the bench early in the second period Guildford looked an improved side.

On the hour they came mighty close to edging ahead. Acheampong scampered after a through ball and bearing down on goal his effort hit Smith’s body and looped up in the box, and Jon-Peter’s volley on the stretch smashed against the crossbar and was cleared.

City were pushing forward, and Kai Zini hooked a shot just wide.

Balham scored their winner in the 81st minute when Jake Henry headed home from a corner.

City pushed for an equaliser and Jon-Peter, Jaiden Chang-Brown and Charlie Robertson all shot wide of the target late on, but despite the pressure the visitors couldn’t find an equalising goal as they fell to defeat.

By Barry Underwood