Bosham and Barnham share spoils of new-year thriller

Fans were treated to a thrill-a-minute game of football to mark the new year as Bosham and Barnham shrugged off the excesses of the festive period to put on a tremendous display in front on the largest crowd of the season at Walton Lane.

There was late drama when Barnham substitute Sam Endicott, burst into the box to snare an injury-time equaliser for the dark blues after the Reds thought they had done enough to take all three points.

Both sides flew out of the blocks with end-to-end play to excite all who were there.

John Phillips opened the scoring for Bosham just before the quarter-hour on the rebound after a powerful strike from Kieran Hartley was parried by keeper Byron Kearns into the striker’s path.

It didn’t take long for the dark blues to draw level, with the pace of Mark Pedrick and Ash Harper causing problems for the Bosham back-line.

Harper restored parity when he was on hand to accept a neat through-ball from Dan Lord and slot home past Nathan Kohle.

On the half-hour, Kohle produced a clanger to gift Barnham the lead when, somehow, he let a free-kick from Pedrick squirm under his body and into the net to earn his side a shock lead with the break fast approaching.

Reds fans needn’t have worried because they drew level moments later thanks to a thunderbolt from Hartley from the edge of the box that gave Kearns no chance.

The second half was similarly-paced with both teams going for the win.

With time running out Graeme Dowden, somewhat fortuitously, pulled a sensational goal out of the hat when his attempted cross ballooned goalwards and completely caught out Kearns to fly in.

Bosham thought the points were in the bag, but in injury time, Endicott rounded off a swift move that cut the Reds defence open and slotted home, sparking wild celebrations on the Barnham bench.

Probably a share of the spoils was a fair result after such a breathtaking game.

BOSHAM: Kohle, Probee, Carrigher, Blanshard, Grantham, Miles, Hartley, Hounsome, Phillips, Dowden, Hancock. Subs: Prior, Rehill, Hancock, Butterfield.

ALAN PRICE