We visited Balham FC at their temporary home, Tooting & Mitcham FC, for another crucial fixture as we aimed to extend our recent good form. Just 18 days earlier, we had won at the same ground against Balham’s landlords, Tooting & Mitcham.

There was one change to the starting eleven, with David Romer coming in after a substitute appearance against Horley Town the previous Saturday, replacing Reece Tierney, who took a spot on the bench. It was also encouraging to see Callum Wilson participating in the warm-up after being out for a few weeks.

Although Balham currently sit second from the bottom of the league, we knew it would be a tough match and were well-prepared for it on a chilly night in Morden. We created some good chances early on, while our hosts were left playing hopeful rather than incisive passes. However, the game changed midway through the first half when Fabio Nunes was shown a straight red card for kicking out at an opposition player after winning a foul. Shortly after this, Balham scored with a header from a well taken free kick on the right, which was headed into our net following a well-delivered cross. Were we in for a long night? Fortunately not, as we equalised in the 43rd minute following a smart move involving Carl Oblitey, who flicked the ball into the path of Adam Green. Green coolly placed his shot inside the keeper’s right-hand post—a fantastic finish, showing that not every goal requires a powerful strike. Half-time: 1-1.

We knew the second half would be a real battle, especially with only 10 men, and we fell behind again when a well-taken free kick hit the underside of the bar and fell to a waiting Balham striker, who tapped it into the net. 2-1. But instead of crumbling, we responded strongly and equalised again just ten minutes later, with Adam Green getting on the end of a superb cross from Ethan Nelson-Roberts and heading it past the Balham goalkeeper. We had a few good chances to win it with Jason Bloor being denied by their keeper for his third goal in three games as a sub.

The match became increasingly fractious, with several bookings on both sides, and even a red card for Balham in the final minute.

In summary, securing a point away from home after playing three-quarters of the match with ten men is a commendable achievement and keeps our good run alive. We’ll need this momentum as we head to Kiln Brow on Saturday to face unbeaten, table-topping Redhill FC. It’ll be good to see some former Epsom players there, though a couple will be sidelined due to injury. It promises to be a great match—why not travel down and support the team?