Terrors Come Out On Top In Thrilling Game

Tooting finally notched up their first league victory of the season this afternoon with a dominant second half performance against bottom placed Worthing, however in perennial Tooting fashion they ensured that their supporters went home with bitten finger nails, conceding a minute from time after having seemed to have had the game sewn up.

The Terrors started the game well and took the lead on 15 minutes when a clever flicked pass from Dominic Morgan-Griffiths set Dan Clements free down the left hand side. He cut in and then pulled the ball back to Omar Folkes. He helped it on to Chace O’Neill who hit a well struck low shot into the bottom corner of the net. Three minutes later Tooting were on the attack again, this time sending a cross in from the left which Mike Dixon got a head to but his effort went over the bar. On 20 minutes, Mike Dixon was in the thick of the action again, this time breaking through into the right hand side of the area and firing a shot agonisingly across the face of the goal line from a tight angle.

Despite the chances, Tooting were unable to add to their first half tally and on 28 minutes, perhaps against the run of play, Worthing attacked down the Terror’s right hand side with Jared Rance getting on the end of a well worked move to fire the visitors level. Four minutes later, they took the lead as Alex Parsons struck home a well hit shot from 10 yards out.

Tooting again started the half brightly and were first with an effort on goal when Omar Folkes shot wide just two minutes after the re-start. However they only had to wait until the 51st minute to draw level, Callum McNaughton getting his left foot on the end of a curling Jordan Wilson free kick from out wide on the left. From then on, Tooting took control of things with Dominic Morgan-Griffiths and Chace O’Neill pulling the strings from the centre of midfield, ably supported by Juevan Spencer wide on the left and Nathan Corkery (on for the injured Dan Clements) down the right, whilst the front pairing of Mike Dixon and Omar Folkes became increasingly more difficult for the Worthing backline to cope with. Despite Tooting’s dominance though, Worthing still had opportunities and the Terrors had Matte Pierson to thank for keeping them on level terms, saving good efforts from Sam Rents and Alex Parsons in the 68th and 70th minute.

Tooting’s dominance finally paid off though on 78 minutes when Omar Folkes was played through and rounded the ‘keeper before sliding the ball home left footed. Four minutes later, Tooting appeared to have sealed the game when Juevan Spencer made a run down the left before pulling the ball back for Billy Dunn on the edge of the box who side footed the ball with slide rule precision into the bottom corner to give the Terrors a two goal cushion.

Just as Tooting seemed to be cruising to the three points, with 2 minutes remaining on the clock, Matte Pierson punched away a high ball out to the edge of the box, where it was met by Worthing substitute Isaac Newton who hit a perfect side footed lob volley back in the direction it had come from, over the Tooting ‘keeper’s head and into the back of the net to ensure that the Tooting faithful had a nervous few minutes to endure before the referee finally drew an end to proceedings.

Photo credit: Sam Conquest

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