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Rocks 0 Tooting and Mitcham 3
Paul Vines struck his second double of the season against the Rocks to leave Darin Killpartrick's side reflecting on another home defeat at a soggy Nyewood Lane.
The Rocks matched their mid-table visitors in the first half but were undone by a poorer second-half display, when they defended poorly and were punished by some clinical Tooting finishing.
It means after a great start to November, the Rocks have ended the month by taking only one point from three home games, and have slipped back to the bottom following Billericay's win.
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The afternoon started with the opening of the new clubhouse, Seasons. A foursome of special guests – mayor Eileen Anderson, MP Nick Gibb, ex-pro Dave Thomas and Rocks stalwart Graham Bradford – did the honours.
On the pitch, the Rocks were without Matt Wood and Charlie Oatway – both called up for an England Colleges trial squad get-together at Lilleshall – but welcomed skipper Michael Birmingham back into the starting XI after injury.
Darin Killpartrick's team were looking to get back on track after dropping five points out of six in their past two home matches.
Michael Birmingham was the first to get hold of the ball for the hosts, but after a surging run, his through-ball to Jason Prior found Tooting keeper Dave King instead.
Then Colin Haltburn almost caught Andrej Pernecky when his 25-yard shot was deflected by a defender, but it went just past the post for a corner.
Daniel Bogard's persistence almost gave him an opening but the ball ran away from him and King gathered.
It was a lively start and Birmingham slid a pass to Prior but he took the ball wide and the chance was gone.
Tooting relieved the pressure with an attack of their own and Simon Parker's low shot tested Pernecky, but he held the effort on the line.
On 13 minutes, visiting keeper King had to be careful to keep out a high ball in from Louie Castles which would have dipped in just under the crossbar without his alertness.
It was quite an end-to-end affair and it was Tooting's turn to threaten next, but Parker's curling shot drifted well over the bar after he ran down the right and cut inside.
The Rocks had a scare on 18 minutes when Pernecky raced well out of his area to clear an attack and almost knocked out Tim Bond in the process before the ball was scrambled to safety.
Both sides were going for it and it wasn't long before Lewis Ide's well-struck volley from the edge of the box forced King to get down quickly.
A promising Rocks attack was halted by an offside flag when Castles tried to put Bogard in on goal.
Midway through the half, Pernecky dived to his left to hold a Parker header which looked goal-bound. But the keeper was untroubled a few minutes later when a long-range sailed so high it bounced off the roof of the new clubhouse.
The new building was firmly in Tooting's sights and Parker might have smashed one of its windows when he smashed a volley wide from eight yards. Suddenly Tooting were getting on top and Aaron Goode flashed a shot beyond Pernecky but wide of the far post from 12 yards.
Tooting defender Dean Hamlin was booked on the half-hour for knocking Jack Clark off the ball as he shaped to shoot just outside the D. It looked prime territory for Birmingham to convert a free-kick but hr dragged his low effort wide.
The ref levelled up the bookings tally by showing a card to Ide for having a shot at goal after the whistle had gone. The midfielder seemed to be protesting that he didn't know play had been stopped.
Tooting defender Mike Heverin pulled up with a leg injury and needed treatment, though not before James Crane and Castles had combined down the right to win a Rocks corner.
Bogard put the ball in the net in the final minute of the first half with a lob over the keeper but the flag was up for offside.
Then Jamie Byatt's surge down the Tooting left forced a defender into a desperate block to preserve the home side's clean sheet.
Half-time 0-0
The second half began in steady rain, which was to make an already-heavy pitch even harder-going for the players.
Prior ought to have headed the Rocks into the lead four minutes into the second half but his attempt from Crane's cross bounced back off the bar.
Play was held up for an injury to Tooting midfielder Haltburn, but he was soon back on his feet.
Tooting had a golden chance to take the lead in the 55th minute when Byatt's hanging cross was right on Heverin's head, but he headed over when he looked odds-on to score.
The rain was getting heavier all the time and the players were having trouble adapting to the slippery conditions.
Crane cut inside for a shot which beat King but was inches the wrong side of the post. And King was under pressure again soon after when he failed to hold Castles' high cross into the six-yard box, but he clutched it at the second attempt.
It was still as open a game as you could wish to see, so it was no surprise when Paul Vines ran through for a chance at the other end, but he blazed his shot over the bar.
Tooting brought on Craig Pitterson for Haltburn on the hour and the visitors took the lead three minutes later through Paul Vines. Sub Pitterson made an immediate impact with an inswinging cross from the left which unmarked Vines headed past Pernecky.
The Rocks were straight back at Tooting looking for an equaliser but Castles took one touch too many when free ten yards out and saw his shot blocked.
Norgate was replaced by Richard Greenfield with 23 minutes left as the Rocks tried to find a way of salvaging a point.
Greenfield almost pulled the Rocks level with a dipping shot from 20 yards which was only just too high.
Tooting made their second change when Joe Vines came on for Heverin with 17 minutes left.
It was 2-0 a minute later but there was a suspicion of offside about the goal. Vines was again the scorer as he slotted past Perencky after holding off the challenge of Mickey Demetriou, but he looked offside when he received the ball.
The second goal knocked the stuffing out of the Rocks and a couple of times, it looked like the visitors would waltz through for a third, but a combination of poor finishing and desperate defending denied them.
The Rocks fashioned a series of half-chances but couldn't find a way past King.
To their credit, the home side were battling til the end in the pouring rain and twice within the 85th minute Prior went agonisingly close to giving them late hope.
First a shot was delfected behind for a corner, then his bullet header flashed across goal with no-one able to touch it in.
Rocks skipper Birmingham was named man of the match.
Killpartrick's team had plenty of the play in the dying stages but didn't have the quality up front to haul themselves back in the game.
And Tooting had the last say when Parker controlled a pass on the edge of the area and curled a beautiful shot beyond Pernecky's dive and into the top corner.
It sent the majority of the 431 crowd home disappointed, with the Rocks now having taken only one point from three home matches. At least the fans had a decent clubhouse in which to drown their sorrows...
Rocks: Pernecky, Crane, Clark, Ide, Bond, Demetriou, Castles, Birmingham, Prior, Norgate, Bogard. Subs: Smith, Franks, Howell, Greenfield, Lawrence.
Tooting: King, Hamlin, Byatt, York, Heverin, Nelson, Howell, Goode, P Vines, Parker, Haltburn. Subs: Clayton, Graves, J Vines, Pitterson, Henry.
Ref: H Lennard (Peacehaven).
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Friday 25 May 2012
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