With the rains having arrived, we faced our first soft pitch of the season where in places the ball landed with a distinct 'splat'. However, like the test of a wet night in Stoke, our players have to overcome a muddy pitch on a cold night against a determined opposition. The first opening came in the third minute when a Kwesi Ntim shot from the left of the penalty area was hooked off the line. In response the home side opened us up on the right but ended by shooting high and wide. Ntim had another shot from a central position but directed it straight at the keeper. On ten minutes Lorenzo Lewis worked an opening from the left but saw his shot drift wide of the right post. On the quarter hour Tyrone Gondoh took the ball down the right wing and passed the ball to Ntim for shot into the side-netting. A few minutes later Billingshurst had a free kick from the left that needed a save at the right post followed by the ball being hooked clear.

Twenty minutes in and goalkeeper Mac Chisholm went down requiring treatment but then had to be replaced by Gerald Denkyi. We were having the better of the game and on 22mins from a central position Lewis swept the ball out to Yusuf McGregor on the right wing where he drove down the line. He returned the ball to Lewis but as he hit his shot he was leaning back sending the ball over the ball. For a second time the home got through down the right to put a cross into the box but the shot was wide. On 27mins William English played a ball out of defence to find Ntim for a shot that lacked power. Two minutes past the half hour, the home side's long ball game paid off as playing on the shoulder their forward was able to break clear and slide the ball past Denkyi for 1-0. Looking to hit back, Gondoh played the ball in from the right to Stephen Hodge for a shot that was hooked off the line. The loose ball came to Gondoh only to see his shot saved.

Billingshurst were onto another long ball on 36mins with a hint of offside but Denkyi was quick to come out and block. A couple of minutes later Lewis and Ntim linked up to provide him with a shot that was saved. With five minutes to the break, it was third time lucky for Billingshurst breaking down the right. Luke Richardson put in a challenge that only slowed up their attack and at the second attempt he conceded a penalty. The kick was duly taken and it was 2-0. Just before the break Alex Kpakpe put a free kick into the box for Kristian Belousas to get his head to but without the power to trouble the keeper. Into added time and Belousas was taken down in the box for what looked like a penalty but only a corner was given. In a third added minute a shot from Belousas was saved at the expense of a corner that came to nothing so Billingshurst took a two goal lead into the break.

A change at half time as English was replaced by Guyni Nganga. The first chance of the half came for the home side with a shot from the left sent over the bar. Lewis responded minutes later with a shot that was high and wide to the right of the goal. With the next goal being pivotal, Billingshurst were onto our backline ten minutes into the half, drawing Denkyi out of his area to make a tackle and get the ball away. It was largely one way traffic as the home side defended and looked to go long, while we had a string of attempts on goal. Kpakpe had a shot from inside the box that was at the keeper and on the hour Ntim cutting in from the left saw his shot deflected behind for a corner that came to nothing. From a spell of possession around the box, Ntim had a shot that the keeper claimed and shortly after Lewis had a shot deflected for a fruitless corner.

With twenty minutes remaining, McGregor was replaced by Aiden Payne-James. Gabriel Odunaike held the ball up in the D and played it off to Ntim on the left. He took the ball into the box and then set up Belousas for a shot that found the net for 2-1. With renewed energy the lads chased an equaliser with Lewis driving into the box on 73mins and crossing for Ntim to see his shot saved again. A few minutes later Lewis was in the action again when there did look to be a good claim for a penalty but nothing was given. Inside the last ten minutes and a move that started with Nganga on the right wing, passed through Lewis in the centre for Payne-James to take the ball into the box on the left. His shot was saved by the keeper once again. On 82mins Billingshurst had a shot that was deflected over the bar for a corner that we dealt with. Nabeel Ghannam replaced Belousas as we pushed for a goal. Five minutes remained when Odunaike received the ball in the box and saw his shot hit the post but the offside was raised. Nganga set up Payne-James after a break down the right wing but there was no power in Payne-James's shot to trouble the keeper.

With time nearly up, Billingshurst had a great chance to seal their win but a great stop by Denkyi denied them and the loose ball was fired over the bar. Gondoh was replaced by Jordan Bartley-Daye as we moved into the final minute. From nice play out from the back, Nganga had the ball on the right but his cross was too close to the keeper. Into added time and Kpakpe had a shot deflected over in the second added minute. Ntim turned provider as he put in a cross that Kpakpe headed towards goal for the keeper to claim once again. Into a seventh added minute and with the home supporters desperate for the final whistle, Ntim won a corner. From the corner Payne-James was in the right place to tuck the ball inside the left post to make it 2-2.

Our point takes us into fifth place in the table above Roffey but having played two games more. We are behind East Grinstead Town on goal difference but they have a game in hand. There were only three other league fixtures midweek league fixtures the most notable one being Hassocks beating Wick to go level on points with Eastbourne United and with a game in hand. The FA Vase draw has thrown second and third together on Saturday as Eastbourne United travel to Hassocks. There were county cups ties this week that brought wins for Eastbourne United and Roffey but a 6-1 defeat at Newhaven for our FA Vase opposition Crawley Down Gatwick.