An atrocious day with howling winds and driving rain saw Sheerwater gain a point from a goalless draw at home to Balham.

Both teams tried their best to make a decent game for the brave souls who turned up to watch this key fixture.

Dan Webster and George Sellick were missing due to injury but Callum Mackie returned following a bout of illness.

Sheerwater were looking to claim three more points to move into mid-table, while Balham, near the bottom, were desperate to put some points on the board.

A draw was a fair result and it was refreshing to see both sides get on with things and play with the right spirit, making it an easy game to referee.

Had Sheerwater made a breakthrough in the first half when they had the wind behind them it would have given them something to defend after the interval, but despite their best efforts a goal did not come.

Some lovely build-up play was not rewarded, as flowing moves and crosses into the danger area were well defended, and the finishing was a bit off key.

Elliot York was close with a snap shot that went just over. Balham keeper Ross was the busier in the first half and looked a bit shaky on occasion, but also made a good save from a close range effort by Harvey Valter.

A fine move down the left saw a great cross from Grant, but Kyei made a superb intervention to take the ball off Valter’s boot six yards out. Right on half-time a left wing cross saw Roje Grant arrive at the far post but his header was just the wrong side of the upright.

An early chance in the second half saw George Mackie swing a corner over and Kareem Foster head on target, but it was blocked and hastily cleared.

With the wind behind them Balham got forward more, but Fabio Suarez dealt with any efforts on goal with composure.

Balham’s best chance fell, late on, to Keene, who had a free header from eight yards, but he did not make a good connection and Suarez gathered.

Sheerwater got the ball down and Liam Avery swept a lovely ball out to George Mackie, who whipped in a cross that fell to Foster, but he mis-hit his effort and the danger was cleared.

Substitute Charlie Martin did well to win the ball on the right and find York with a cross, but the usually reliable striker fired off target.

Byrun Mitchell came on and his pace troubled the Balham defence. He got in down the left but a last-ditch tackle from Kyei went for a corner. The corner dropped in the six-yard box but Ross pounced on it.

At the other end Piers Oldland hit a rasping half-volley that had Suarez at full stretch, but it went just wide.

The final effort saw Mitchell twist and turn on the edge of the area to make space and shoot on target, but Ross was behind it and held on.