Knaphill were held to a 1-1 draw by nine-man Chipstead in the Combined Counties Premier Division South.

The Knappers were forced to settle for a point at the NRT Stadium, with Louis Collins’ second-half equaliser cancelling out Michael Dixon’s opener.

The hosts took the lead on 30 minutes following a devastating counter-attack. With Knaphill committed forward from a corner, Chipstead broke quickly, working the ball out to Andre Cummings on the left. He drove forward before drilling a low cross into the area, where a ricochet involving Joe Throp and Michak Stanic-Stewart in front of Knappers keeper Harvey Keogh fell kindly to Dixon, who stroked the rebound into the net.

Knaphill were handed a lifeline just before the break when Chipstead were reduced to ten men. Stanislaw Cyndrowski was shown a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time for a late follow-through on Throp.

Chipstead’s task became even harder on 58 minutes when Jake Cunningham was sent off for a high boot on Tom Wensley, catching him in the face while attempting an acrobatic effort at the back post.

Even with a two-man advantage, Knaphill lacked tempo and quality in the final third, with Chipstead dropping deep and remaining compact.

The equaliser arrived on 72 minutes in unusual fashion. Collins delivered a deep, in-swinging corner from the left that evaded everyone and dropped straight in at the far post to level the scores at 1-1.

The Knappers pushed for a winner. Ross Murdoch’s effort forced a low save from Chipstead keeper Jacob Bennett, who got down well to push it clear. Another opportunity fell to Murdoch inside the area, but he lifted his effort over the bar.

Knaphill were reduced to ten men in second-half stoppage time when Olly Woolgar was shown a second yellow card after bringing down Cummings during a counter-attack.

By James Carpenter