Knaphill’s play-off push suffered a setback as they lost 3-2 at home to Tadley Calleva in the Combined Counties Premier Division South.

The visitors took the lead on 18 minutes. Sheldon Wright drove down the left-hand side and pulled the ball back into the area where Aime Kamdem arrived to strike first time into the top right-hand corner.

Tadley almost doubled their advantage shortly afterwards when Wright’s audacious effort from the edge of the area clipped the crossbar.

Knaphill equalised on 35 minutes when Louis Collins drove his free kick through the wall and into the net.

Tadley regained the lead on 48 minutes when Wright fired a dipping effort goalwards from 25 yards out that bounced just in front of Knappers keeper Harvey Keogh and skipped into the bottom left-hand corner.

Knaphill nearly responded when Thomas Harland-Goddard’s shot from the edge of the area clipped the crossbar.

Tempers flared midway through the second half when players from both sides rushed in following an incident near the touchline. After restoring order the referee issued red cards to Bradley Sweeney and Kieran Rodgers, reducing both sides to ten men.

Knaphill’s problems deepened when Rami Halloufi was sin-binned, temporarily leaving the hosts down to nine players. Tadley quickly capitalised. Breaking down the right-hand side, Wright drove forward before pulling the ball back into the area where Alex Miller arrived to strike past Keogh, extending the visitors’ lead to 3-1 on 71 minutes.

The hosts pulled a goal back with 12 minutes remaining. Halloufi cut inside from the left and found Olly Woolgar, who threaded a pass down the channel for Ross Murdoch. Murdoch drove into the area and pulled the ball back where Ben Mitchell saw his effort saved by Tadley keeper Donnacha Burke, but Joe Throp reacted quickest to slash the rebound into the net.

By James Carpenter