FARNHAM TOWN 2, COLLIERS WOOD 2 (Combined Counties Premier League)

COLLIERS Wood came from two goals down to frustrate Farnham at the Memorial Ground on Saturday.

Town got off to a racing start, despite the difficult surface, and promised to put a run of three defeats behind them after scoring twice in the opening 16 minutes.

Elliott Cardona had already twice missed narrowly after linking well with Chris Poole before Farnham’s early pressure bore fruit on 12 minutes.

Steve Ramsden floated in a free-kick and an unmarked George Spiers forced the ball home from eight yards.

Four minutes later, Farnham doubled their lead. Jack Dillon stretched the Wood defence on the right before crossing low to the far post where Cardona this time made no mistake with a sliding effort.

There could have been more for the home side. Spiers headed wide at a corner and Tyrone Newton had to be strong to keep out Poole.

Gradually, though, the visitors began to settle and they pulled one back from their first decent chance. Farnham cleared a corner only as far as Sanchez Benali whoe superb cross was headed home powerfully by Dan Harding.

Seb Osei-Obengo hit the upright at another corner as Wood pushed for an equaliser, while Farnham had confident shouts for a penalty turned down when skipper Ben Williams apeared to be tripped.

The start of the second half found Farnham back on the offensive. Wester Young made a vital save with his legs to deny Cardona and after another fine save by the keeper at a free-kick, Williams missed on the follow-up

But it was Colliers Wood who drew level on 72 minutes. Harding made a storming run to the byline and his pull-back was blasted home by Osei-Obengo, giving Aaron Holt no chance.

Farnham, in turn, came back hard, utilising the pace of Dillon whose dangerous cross was cleared by Devante Totescull.

Town looked to have snatched the game when another Dillon cross was back-heeled goalwards, but Young was adjudged to have claimed the ball before it crossed the line.

Colliers had two players booked in a frenetic finish to the game, but a point apiece was probably the right result.

Farnham: Holt, Giles, Phillips, Spiers, Williams, Cox, Dillon, Staines, Poole, Ramsden, Cardona. Subs: Ford, Slater, Meaton, Jones.

“A very entertaining game and just a shame we didn’t pick up the three points,” said Farnham manager Paul Tanner. “I said to the boys afterwards we were like a steam train going from Alton to Waterloo. We got to Farnham, didn’t do too much between Farnham and Surbiton, and then finished the game well. Unfortunately, the rewards were not as great as Waterloo.”

*Next up for Farnham is a match at Camberley on Tuesday, December 27. Badshot Lea, who had no league fixture on Saturday, face a formidable trip to runaway leaders Hartley Wintney on December 27. Both games kick off at 11.30am.