Tooting & Mitcham were the visitors for our final league game of the 24/25 season and an entertaining game saw Sheerwater claim their eighth home victory.

With safety assured for both sides it could have been a drab affair but it was anything but with chances created at both ends and three good goals scored. George Mackie returned to the starting line-up replacing the departed Elliott York, who moved to Redhill FC. Mackie had a fine game on the right of midfield and on the left Theo White was outstanding.

Sebastien Rowland nearly opened the scoring with a left-footed effort from twenty-two yards that went just over. Tooting also had a decent chance from a corner but Simeone put his header in to the side netting. Emanuel Osei was very effective pushing forward from midfield and he placed a shot just wide from eighteen yards. George Mackie was stretching the Tooting defence and on thirty-two minutes he made a driving run from deep and got a shot off with pace from twenty-two yards but Tooting keeper, McKimm gathered it in low down. Rowland fouled Simeone just outside the area and from the free-kick, Siklawi curled an effort around the wall but Sheers keeper, Drew Churchwell got across and made a fine save at the foot of his post.

The deadlock was broken on thirty-seven minutes in fine style. Mackie played a great ball inside the full back to White who took on and beat O’Brien before laying the ball back to skipper, Liam Avery who whipped a cross to the far post for top scorer Harvey Valter to slot home at the second attempt after McKimm saved his header.

Tooting made two changes at the break and started brightly but Jake Horn steadied the ship in midfield for the hosts. Horn has been a revelation for Sheerwater since signing earlier in the season and would surely fit in to the midfield of any other side in this league. He allowed Osei to push forward and a quick break saw Osei find Valter who in turn played Mackie through and his powerful drive was saved by McKimm. The all-important second goal came on fifty-four minutes. White received the ball out wide and he danced his way in to the area along the bye-line and his pull back was put into his own net by Wopara. Melody wasted a good chance to claw a goal back but his free header from six yards went well wide. Tooting did reduce the arrears on sixty-eight minutes. Mekhail McLaughlin who again stood out with a commanding

performance was penalised for a trip on Oldham. Siklawi this time found the bottom corner with the free-kick. Tooting stayed patient with their efforts to equalise and Sheerwater took a few minutes to compose themselves. A right wing cross from Brennan fell to Cole but his rushed effort sailed over. At the other end White got on the ball more and more and gave the full back a torrid time. Substitute, Byron Mitchell lost the ball but worked hard to win it back before unleashing a right-footed effort that McKimm kept out. Rowland just failed to connect from a White cross. More pressure from Tooting was dealt with with Churchwell claiming a couple of crosses.

Tooting though they had equalised after a cross was turned in but the Assistant Referee had his flag raised for offside. This was the final scare and Sheerwater saw the remaining time out to earn the victory in a very closely fought game played in a good spirit.