Knaphill threw away a two-goal lead as they drew 2-2 at home to Eversley & California in the Combined Counties Premier Division South on Saturday.

The Knappers made a flying start but were forced to settle for a draw after Eversley & California fought back late on at Redding Way.

Knaphill started brightly and were on the front foot from the first whistle.

Eight minutes in, a long throw into the box eventually fell to Louis Collins, who hooked the ball goalwards, only for visiting keeper Josh Selby to tip it over the bar. Two minutes later, Rami Halloufi tried his luck from just outside the area, his low drive pushed around the post at full stretch. From the following corner, Thomas Harland-Goddard met the delivery with a firm header, but again Selby got down well to save.

The breakthrough came soon afterwards. A corner from Collins wasn’t properly cleared, and the loose ball fell to Dale Burnham at the back post, the skipper making no mistake as he smashed it into the net for 1-0.

The second goal was a brilliant team move. Knaphill worked the ball patiently from the back before Halloufi played a perfectly weighted ball down the channel to Olly Woolgar, who, operating in the number ten role, found space and squared it across the box for Harland-Goddard to run onto and calmly slot home.

Moments later, Knaphill thought they had added a third when Woolgar again drifted into space and crossed for Harland-Goddard to head in at the back post, but the flag went up for offside against Woolgar in the build-up.

Knaphill started the second half in similar fashion, with Harland-Goddard striking the post after a neat one-two with Collins. Moments later, Woolgar almost made it three, curling a strike from outside the box that looked destined for the top corner until Selby pulled off a superb fingertip save to push it round the post.

Aidan King had replaced Max Lohmeier at the break, with further changes following as Jack Phillips, Frazier Osunkoya, Ben Mitchell and Ross Murdoch were all introduced.

Knaphill failed to clear a cross, and the loose ball fell kindly for Ollie Noyes, who reacted quickest to drive it home and pull one back for Eversley on 62 minutes.

The visitors were reduced to ten men on 80 minutes when Francis Gordon Augustus Sey was shown a straight red card following an off-the-ball incident.

The visitors got back on level terms in the 84th minute when a free kick delivered into the box wasn’t dealt with, and Noyes was on hand to pick up the loose ball and hit it home to make it 2-2.

Knaphill pressed for a late winner but couldn’t find a way through, and were left frustrated after a dominant first-half performance and bright restart faded into a draw.

The Knappers had started the match really well and played some excellent football in the first half, creating plenty of chances, but a lapse in concentration had cost them two points.

Knaphill: Keogh, Halloufi (Murdoch 68), Stanic Stewart (Phillips 62), Burnham (c), Cheek, Wensley, Woolgar, Lohmeier (King 45), Baisden (Osunkoya 62), Harland-Goddard (Mitchell 67), Collins.

Eversley & California: Selby, Roche, Cox, Cooper, Noyes, Baker (c), Samuel-Harman (Sey 53), Mindomba, Ebanda, Clarke, Carolan (Weir 53).

Red card: Sey (80).

By James Carpenter