Just one change to the matchday squad and three changes to the starting eleven as the lads looked to put Saturday's disappointment behind them. A slow start to the game as our hosts Forest Row were looking to bounce back from losing their opening game as well. There was a similarity in that Forest Row were looking to go for the long ball as often as possible and an early ball down the right wing brought a cross to the left of the box and a header over the bar. Reon Donkor and Kwesi Ntim were lively up front with Donkor latching onto a ball from Jason Stripp but was well tackled in the box and a fine cross from the left wing by Stephen Hodge just eluded Ntim. With twenty minutes played a poor free kick from the right by Stripp did find Donkor who skewed his shot wide which meant anyone just arriving had not missed much.

Football has recently been a game of four quarters and the next quarter of this one stepped up the action. With ball on the right, Ntim set Jack McDonnell up for a shot but for some reason he chose to pass it on and the chance went. Forest Row launched it long on 25mins and an alert captain Luke Richardson cut it out at the expense of a throw. From another long ball down the left Nicolas Bostan came across quickly to deflect the cross behind. The corner was delivered into the box and as we struggled to clear it, a green-shirted hand reached out to push the ball forward. A daft handball when there was still an opening to score followed by a predictable yellow card. On the half hour Donkor was into their box on the left but snatched at his shot. A minute later Hodge won the ball on the left wing, centred it to Raphael Barbosa for a shot that incredibly hit Alex Kpakpe when it was goalbound. Forest Row launched the clearance downfield and Bostan got there first to be assisted by Richardson and McDonnell in clearing the ball down the left where Ntim took it forward and drew a save from the keeper.

With ten minutes to go Kpakpe did well to win the ball, get fouled, but still drive into the box and have a shot. The keeper's save rebounded out to Kristian Belousas for a snap volley that was never under control. While Hodge had created some openings going forward he was still there to sprint back to put a long ball out for a throw. Stripp brought the ball out from the edge box on 39mins and found Ntim on the left wing. He took it forward and crossed to Barbosa for a shot that was deflected behind for a corner only to be given as a goal kick. With a few minutes to the break, Hodge had done the hard work winning the foot race for the ball and then miscued a back pass which at first looked to be heading goalwards but thankfully went behind. The last action in a second added minute was Belousas setting up McDonnell for a snap shot he dragged wide on the left post and so it ended all square at half time.

With nobody available to entertain us during the break we just had the normal fifteen minutes and then back to hopefully the action that had ended the first half. A flat start to the half brought a yellow card for Richardson and a shot by Ntim that required a save. It got lively when nine minutes in Richardson made a lunging tackle in the box to stop their forward that brought a gasp in and around our bench. A penalty and second yellow card would not have been a surprise but a much closer referee decided it was all fair and awarded a Forest Row throw. It sparked the game back into life as a couple of minutes later Ntim had the ball on the left of the box, beat two players to work his way in and then went for a near post shot the keeper saved. It was quickly down into our box as Richardson and their No 9, who seemed to have been fired up during the break, tangled again but the referee was unmoved. Our turn next as some nice interplay allowed Barbosa to set up Donkor for a shot from the left of the box that was curling into the right top corner only to see the keeper claw it away. Ntim had the next opening on the left where we were getting some joy going forward - cutting back inside his shot went over the bar. It had the feeling that a goal was coming and on 62mins another good piece of possession football allowed Barbosa the chance to slip in Donkor in the middle of the box and he duly scored.

Completing a good second half spell, on 69mins Ntim did really well to keep the ball in play on the left and then dribble into the box, twist and turn to find space and shoot just wide of the left post. On 66mins Barbosa was replaced by Iker Noguera Leon who contributed some of our brighter moments at Hassocks. Forest Row were not out of this and soon had a shot over the bar and then driving down the left got the bounce of the ball requiring Sang Baek to come out the gather the ball well. Noguera Leon was soon making a difference on the left and, linking up with Belousas and Ntim, forced an opening in the box but was closed down before shooting. Another warning from the home side as a free kick from the left fizzed through our box untouched and out for a throw. With 74mins played the warning was not heeded as the defence did not deal with a long ball and while Baek saved the shot, Forest Row were sharper to the rebound to level the scores.

For the last ten minutes Gabriel Odunaike came on for Belousas and was soon involved in a nice move started by Hodge on the left and finding Odunaike in the box. He set the ball back to Ntim who found McDonnell on the right wing to drive into the box and shoot across the keeper into the left corner for 2-1. Eight minutes of normal time remained and Ntim was replaced by Jonathan Gjoshe. Forest Row had a free kick from the left that Baek got a hand on to put behind for a corner. The corner was cleared and then under pressure Baek took a high ball really well. Into the final minute and Donkor had the chance to seal it when he was put clear in the middle but his shot was too soft and the keeper gathered it. With just added time to come, Baek made a good save but then, in coming out to claim a resulting high ball into the box, he clattered into their forward to concede a penalty. The kick was well taken and it was 2-2. With five added minutes to play it was a bit nervy as the home side looked to try to nick it at the end.

There is still one match of the round to play but currently we sit seventeenth in the table at the bottom of six teams with a point on goal difference. Wick are below us and host Midhurst this evening and a win or 3-3 draw upwards would see them move past us. Early days but Roffey, Eastbourne United, Guernsey and Bexhill United are the teams with wins in both games so far while Wick, Lancing and Little Common await their first point. All that is put aside on Saturday as we travel to Fawkham to play Corinthian FC in the FA Cup. They have started their season with a draw away to Fisher and were fourteenth out of eighteen teams last season in the SCEFL.