A fast start by the visitors saw them take the lead with just a few minutes played. It took the lads a couple of minutes longer to get level than last time out at Saltdean and then an even half followed. Peacehaven put us under pressure for a period at the start of the second half but having resisted we gave away an untidy goal from a corner. Credit to the lads for fighting back and deep into added time their reward came with an equaliser from a corner. A fourth draw in a row and a fifth game unbeaten.

For our second edition of Friday Night Football at Whyteleafe we faced a Peacehaven & Telscombe side eighth in the table and in reasonable form. The Lingers were looking to keep the good run of form that started with the win over Little Common going. With that in mind, Peacehaven broke away down the left after just three minutes, crossed into the six yard box drawing a save from Sammie Saward, and then tucked the rebound home for the opening goal. Having shown resilience last Saturday at Saltdean Untied, Jack McDonnell went on a driving run down the right, interplayed with Gus Ward and struck home the equaliser from a central position just three minutes later. On 8mins Hamza Abubakari won the ball in the centre and fed it out to Ward on the left for a cross put out for a throw. From the throw Ousmane Balde Dansoko took the ball and set up Abubakari for a shot that he could not keep down. A few minutes later Balde Dansoko was on the right and crossed into the box for Peacehaven to put the ball behind for a corner. David Heaton delivered the corner only for their keeper to make a confident catch. Peacehaven kept probing our defence and on 16mins it required some sharp work by Stephen Hodge to tackle their winger on the left and then earn a goal kick.

Half way through the first half, Balde Dansoko pushed forward on the left and laid the ball to McDonnell. He scuffed his shot but it ran to Ward in the centre only for his shot to be blocked and then cleared. Conor Wilford was alert to cover at the back on 26mins and clear the ball down the line to Ward. Balde Dansoko received the ball from him and having shielded it well to earn a free kick outside the box we could not make anything of. Matching the efforts of Hodge on one side, Ruebuan Zamorano on the other side was able to dispossess Peacehaven and see the ball out for a goal kick. On the half hour another good break by McDonnell on the right saw him cross to find Ward. He laid the ball to Abubakari for a shot but he could not get over the ball to keep it down. Soon after Abubakari was in space to have another shot but leaned back as he hit it. Peacehaven had a shot from the centre of the half that hit the outside of the right post but Saward had it covered. On 42mins McDonnell was battling with their wide player as he tried to push it past him and go. No luck for them as he got his tackle in and put the ball in touch. Into a couple of added minutes and in a last Peacehaven push forward, Heaton won the ball on the edge of our box and cleared it so it ended 1-1 at the break.

Peacehaven came out with vigour in the second half and put our defence under some pressure. Wilford was there just past ten minutes of the half to get a foot in to block a dangerous cross. From the loose ball Peacehaven fizzed in a shot that was just wide of the left post having looked like it might hit the top corner. On 59mins it was a debut for one of our new recruits as Tyrone Gondah replaced Zamorano. On the hour Abubakari had a good chance as he turned in the box and fired off a shot but Peacehaven got a body in the way to block. Four minutes later, having won the ball Hodge was on a charge forward and with shouts of 'shoot' he struck it well but straight at the keeper. When Balde Dansoko received the ball in the box from Abubakari and hit the deck it looked very much like he had been fouled but play was waved on. Peacehaven pushed down field and won a corner but Saward was solid in gathering to earn a free kick.

Five minutes later Peacehaven had another corner from the right that we let ping around the box and so Peacehaven took the lead once again. A shame as we had been so much better dealing with corners over the last month or so. Keanan Allassani replaced Prince Aderogba on 73mins. Five minutes later we won a corner from the left that Jason Stripp delivered deep to the far post but Peacehaven put it behind for another corner – or so it looked but the referee called goal kick. On 82mins Archie Foy replaced Heaton and then two minutes later McDonnell was free on the left and delivered a good ball into the box that the keeper claimed. With five minutes of normal time to play, a nice ball from Hodge found Balde Dansoko. Into the box he had a great opening but shot agonisingly just wide of the left post. A minute later though it looked like a second goal was on the cards for McDonnell as he cut in from the right a stuck shot that was arrowing just inside the left post only for the keeper to get a hand to it. Stripp sent the corner in from the left and Wilford got his head to it but it went over the bar.

Into added time and Allassani was on the end of a long ball only for Peacehaven to put it out. They won the ball back from the throw and were raiding down the left. Balde Dansoko did an excellent job of tracking back and hassling such that their final shot was wide. Added time had now reached an eighth minute when a free kick by McDonnell from the left was cleared behind for a corner. Last chance saloon as the final whistle must have been nigh when Stripp put the ball into the box with everybody included Saward up from goal waiting. Wilford got his head to the ball, the keeper threw a desperate arm up at the ball as it sailed over him and into the net for 2-2. As soon as the game kicked off the final whistle came. Another draw the keep the points tally ticking over and stretch our unbeaten run to five games.

Our point keeps us six points above Saltdean United in eighteenth place but having played two games more. Saltdean picked up a point at Pagham today and host fifth placed Petersfield Town midweek ahead of a visit from Shoreham next Saturday. Bottom club Little Common could not play today and will hope their pitch will dry out for a midweek match against Crawley Down Gatwick. They are nine points below us but with three games in hand. Next Saturday they travel to a struggling Wick side who are without a point since before Christmas. We will finally get to play a match against Shoreham this season as we visit them on Tuesday. Shoreham have found some form recently and are three points above us with two games in hand although they were beaten by Bexhill United today. After Shoreham we travel to Loxwood for a 'home' game as the ground at Whyteleafe is not available. Loxwood lost at home to Crawley Down today and are just a point ahead of us with a game in hand. So two really big games ahead that could really propel us up the table if we can win given that we have no game on 15 February while those around us play.