As derby matches go, you couldn’t have a more local one than one where the two clubs share the same ground. Both teams gave everything in a game that was full of endeavour and had an explosive finish.

In the early stages, there was little to suggest what lay ahead. Charlie Dale tried to make the most of Lewisham Borough defensive confusion, but his shot was saved easily by Khiani Ofuyaekpose-Shonbe as he scrambled back into his goal.

Daniel Flemming went up for a Forest Hill Park free kick but headed wide before Edward Asiamah had a free kick saved easily by Matt Bailey.

Ten minutes were left in the first half when the away team went ahead. Asiamah went on a long run and with no passing options available, he let fly. His shot took a deflection and found its way into the bottom corner.

Montel Williams tried his luck from distance, but Bailey saved easily before the half time interval.
After the break, Lewisham upped the pace and enjoyed a good spell of pressure. Sineen Sineen hit a free kick over then Chukwuxavier Nwobani went on a strong run before picking out Kayden Turner-Bernard who skied over.

Asiamah delivered a free kick that Ethan Emmons headed over then a forty-five-yard half volley by George Harris went wide.
Having seen out that spell, the ‘hosts’ started to come back into the game and Devonte Young gave Dale the opportunity to cut in from the right however his left footed effort flew high and wide.

Turner-Bernard again fired over after having been found by Nwobani before Forest Hill Park’s Alberto Garcia was thwarted by an excellent block save by Ofuyaekpose-Shonbe.
Just over fifteen minutes remained when Forest Hill levelled. Substitute Malachi Medley’s shot was saved and came back out to him. Lewisham thought that they had cleared his second effort off the line, but the assistant referee was in a perfect position to see that it had crossed the line.

Tackles flew in with injuries incurred and that, combined with a series of substitutions, meant that there was plenty of time for both teams to try to find a winner and Lewisham thought that they had done just that when they scored two minutes into stoppage time.

Sineen and Tyler Davis-Whitlock found themselves two against one defender and they worked it perfectly for the former to slot home.

However, the Forest were not to be denied and in the eighth minute of stoppage time they levelled.Ofuyaekpose-Shonbe made a superb save, but it came out to Abdul Sunmonu, and he blasted home from close range.

Neither side created another chance in the remaining two minutes, and they had to settle for a point apiece.

Main Photo: Matt Reeds

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