REDHILL 0,

FARNHAM TN 1

FOR all their recent consistency in the Combined Counties League, Farnham Town have been dropping points, so manager Paul Tanner offered no apologies for his side’s smash-and-grab raid at Redhill on Tuesday night.

Town came away with three points from a strange game, played ten-a-side for most of the time and containing very few chances until the visitors snatched the winner in the dying seconds.

“We really wanted the points,” said Tanner. “We dropped two against Bedfont last Tuesday, losing concentration in the last minute. Did we deserve it? Perhaps not, but I’m just happy to get up to 20 points. It keeps us ticking over nicely and we have Camberley this week – not exactly easy.”

Farnham will travel to fourth-placed Camberley missing their first-choice strikers. Matt Glass and Jack Dillon are injured and Mark Corbett’s recall to the England beach football side means that Town are without their best forward until the new year.

But Elliott Cardona has reverted to the front-runner role of his earlier days and Farnham have looked fairly comfortable playing a 4-1-4-1 formation, although it was a late change of tactics that confused Redhill and led to the lone goal.

With ten minutes to go, Tanner sent Nick Hannett on to join Cardona and the absence of a left midfielder threw Redhill off balance.

Town were under sustained pressure, but a swift breakout suddenly found them four on two.

Joe Sowden, Hannett and Cardona combined smoothly and Hannett, 18 yards out and on the angle, blasted an unstoppable shot into the top left-hand corner.

Less than 30 minutes into the game, both sides had found themselves down to ten men, full-back Max Meaton’s second yellow card being closely followed by a second caution for the home right-back.

Possession was equally shared up to half-time, but neither goalkeeper was seriously tested.

The pattern continued in the second half until Redhill made a flurry of substitutions and began to ramp up the pressure.

On the hour-mark, John Lancashire finally had a half decent shot for Farnham, forcing a good save.

Disciplined defence looked like earning Town an honourable draw, but then Tanner made his late move and substitute Hannett delivered with that superb shot that netted a welcome three points.

Farnham: Petts, Meaton, Graham, Marker, Spiers; L Whiddett; T Smith (Hannett 80), J Sowden, Lancashire, Cheek; E Cardona. Subs (not used): Ramsden, McCallum, Staines, Evans.

Farnham are away to Camberley this Saturday and then host Westfield on Tuesday.