Knaphill were held to a 1-1 draw by Corinthian-Casuals in the Combined Counties Premier Division South.

Honours were even between the two sides on a rainy evening at Redding Way, in one of the few games in the area that survived the heavy rainfall last Tuesday night (October 8).

This was the return fixture between the two sides, with Knaphill having won 1-0 at Corinthian-Casuals' ground earlier in the season.

Knaphill started the game brightly and had the first chance in the seventh minute. A well-delivered corner found Dale Burnham, whose header was straight at Corinthian-Casuals' goalkeeper Mo Maan, who made a fine save.

Corinthian-Casuals began to grow into the game, and in the 13th minute Diogo Da Silva’s curling free kick from the edge of the area looked destined for the top left-hand corner. However, Knaphill goalkeeper Sam Gray produced a stunning one-handed save to tip the ball over the bar.

The game’s breakthrough came in the 23rd minute. A long ball from Jack Watts found Kingsley Anokye down the right wing. Anokye shrugged off a defender and played the ball across the box to Ben Mitchell, who was brought down by Maan in a race for the ball. The referee awarded a penalty, and Anokye stepped up to calmly slot the ball home to give Knaphill a 1-0 lead.

Corinthian-Casuals pressed hard for an equaliser, and in the 33rd minute a cross-turned-shot from the right forced Gray into action again, clawing the ball away with one hand.

Just a minute later, Kieron Cadogan beat Burnham and unleashed a shot that crashed against the left-hand post, but Knaphill escaped as the ball rebounded to safety.

The Knappers saw out the rest of the first half to lead 1-0 at the break.

Corinthian-Casuals came out flying after the break, and in the 46th minute Ben Cheklit found space on the left-hand side of the box and unleashed a powerful shot. Gray was up to the task once again, tipping the ball over the bar to deny the visitors.

Corinthian-Casuals’ pressure finally paid off in the 48th minute when they were rewarded from a corner. Marcos Dos Santos met the delivery, heading the ball against the bar before it bounced into the net to level the score at 1-1.

Cadogan went close again for the visitors in the 64th minute, firing a powerful shot from the edge of the box. However, Gray was Knaphill's saviour again, tipping the shot over the bar with another superb save.

Corinthian-Casuals continued to play some excellent football, moving the ball around fluently and creating dangerous opportunities. However, Knaphill’s tireless work rate managed to prevent the visitors finding a winner.

The home side pressed relentlessly, refusing to allow Corinthian-Casuals time on the ball and working hard to close down space.

Ross Cheek’s tireless running and effort made him a key figure throughout the match for the Knappers. He was all over the pitch in attack and defence, pressing continuously and working hard to deny the visitors opportunities.

Both sides had their moments, but Knaphill were satisfied with their efforts in securing a point in challenging conditions.

Corinthian-Casuals played some excellent football, but Knaphill’s work rate and resilience, particularly in the second half, ensured they weren’t overrun.

By James Carpenter