Cove 1, Farnham Town 1

A LATE equaliser from a set piece piled on the frustration for Farnham Town who saw their winless league run increase to four games with a draw at lowly Cove on Tuesday night.

It was noisy neighbours Cove who put a spanner in Town’s promotion works back in January, winning 1-0 at the Memorial Ground to spark a mini-collapse for Luke Turkington’s title chasers.

Surprise defeats against Bagshot, Chessington and, less so, Tooting Bec followed but it looked for a long time on Tuesday night as though Town were going to set the record straight and get back on track in a bid to put pressure on the top five in Division One of the Combined Counties League.

Leading through the industrious Matt Glass’ 40th-minute goal, which was created by Kylo Atkinson’s pace, Town were undone by a bullet header from Conor Allison from a corner 12 minutes from time and had to settle for a point. But it could have been so much more as Town dominated possesion for long periods but were again wasteful in front of goal – a troubling factor which has been at the heart of their recent troubles.

“The boys are starting to get a bit upset because they know they should be winning these games and it’s just not coming off. It’s quite hard to take at the moment,” said Turkington.

“First half of the season we were looking like scoring and carrying on scoring and were very confident, now it’s like we’re relying on our defenders to defend to get something out of the game. We are doing everything right apart from scoring. We are dominating possession and dictating games, but you have to convert your chances or you will get stung.”

Looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Tooting Bec on Saturday in which Farnham “could have been out of sight by half-time” with more clinical finishing, Town’s cause wasn’t helped when Atkinson appeared to be brought down from behind when racing clear in the penalty area after latching onto Kye Nash’s sumptuous through ball and the referee waved play on.

Youngster Sam Gillett had a firm shot parried at point-blank range by the Cove goalkeeper in the first half after an overlap involving Glass and Max Meaton and sent a rasping half-volley inches wide of the Cove goalkeeper’s left-hand post late on as Town rallied in a desperate bid to win all three points.

But it was only a superb one-handed save low to his left from debutant goalkeeper Dease Kerrison that ensured Town left Cove with anything at all.

“Cove were celebrating a point and we are all feeling like we’ve lost the game,” said Turkington.

Town travel to face London-based FC Deportivo Galicia on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) before hosting fourth-placed Sheerwater at the Memorial Ground next Tuesday (kick-off 7.45pm).

And Turkington, who said his side would fight to the bitter end for the title, added: “I think we’re due another six or seven goals against a team, so hopefully it will be on Saturday.”

Farnham Town: Kerrison, Meaton, Smith, K Conteh (Cardona 64), Harper, Oakley, Atkinson, Nash, Gillett, Glass, Taylor (Howard 77). Subs (not used): N Medcraft, Esprit, Falvey.