Lewes’ wait for Isthmian win goes on after late Cheshunt leveller

Battling the coldest conditions they are likely to face in 2025, both sides eschewed thoughts of playing their best football and dug in to try to get three points.

An atrocious first half from Lewes saw the Hertfordshire visitors lead 1-0 at the break, but goals from Alfie Allen and Tolu Ladapo appeared to win the game for the Rooks.

Ladapo’s 88th-minute header was cancelled out by a 91st-minute leveller from Cheshunt’s Sam Granville, however, meaning Craig Nelson’s side stayed 10th in the table.

After the hullabaloo of Christmas and New Year, with their last outing at Whitehawk abandoned at half-time in horrific conditions, Lewes had the chance to reset with their first home game of 2025.

They needed to break a run of five matches without a win to restart their play-off push, and in their attempt, the Rooks made three changes from the Whitehawk game, with Josh Spinks, Parish Muirhead and Calvin Ekpiteta recalled.

Nelson’s side had a decent start at the Dripping Pan, too, with chances for Marcus Sablier and Gianluca Botti in the first 10 minutes – both of which drifted wide across goal.

Cheshunt, who were 18th in the table but had picked up several impressive recent results, got going after those early scares and made noticeable progress.

Ex-Lewes striker Tommy Wood spearheaded the Ambers’ attack, and with the diminutive Vas Vasiliou and former EFL winger Rob Hall on either side of him, there was constant danger.

Vasiliou and Hall tried their luck a couple of times without reward in the early stages, and Wood had a fierce drive blocked by Ethan Kaiser before the visitors punished tame Lewes defending midway through the half.

In the 25th minute, a throw from the right sailed over to Vasiliou, who was afforded far too much space and sent a cute lofted strike past Toby Bull.

It got worse for the Rooks, who in the process of conceding saw Parish Muirhead go down with an ankle injury. Despite attempting to play on, the midfielder was eventually forced off.

Looking rocked by both incidents, Lewes went into their shell for the rest of the half and failed to produce any chances of note.

Cheshunt were conservative themselves and content to sit on their lead until the half-time whistle, with their league position showing as they guarded their goal.

In the coldest conditions they had faced all season, Lewes needed all the proverbial fire they could muster to get back into the game.

The first 10 minutes were hardly inspiring, with the ball continuing to change hands at a moment’s notice amidst some sloppy passing.

After Lewes were forced into a second change with Peter Ojemen feeling ill, they finally clicked into gear.

In the 59th minute, the Rooks had their best chance of the match as Botti broke at speed and squared to Calvin Ekpiteta, who sent a disappointing right-footed finish wide of the left post.

Just two minutes later, quality finally arrived with an outstanding equaliser. Attacking down the left, Danny Bassett released substitute Izzy Jones on the overlap, who in turn found Marcus Sablier inside.

The ball broke free to Allen, who had no hesitation in scorching a strike past goalkeeper R’avan Constable from all of 25 yards – not the first time this season that his long-range strikes had proved vital.

Lewes were well on top after Allen’s strike, moving the ball around with verve and regularly finding Ladapo, who came on after the goal and was running the Cheshunt defence ragged.

The visiting defence were doing just enough to hold on as Ladapo and Bassett whipped in crosses, with Botti having one of the best chances in the 86th minute as he flicked a Ladapo cross on target.

In the 88th minute, Lewes again capitalised on their pressure by scoring what seemed to be a decisive second goal. Ladapo’s cross from the right sailed over everyone, but the ball was recycled on the left and Sablier found Ladapo again, who leapt highest at the far post to send a header back across Constable and in.

That lead would last all of two minutes, however, as Cheshunt poured on pressure around the Lewes box and midfielder Granville slalomed through a sea of bodies to send a sweet 15-yard strike past Bull.

Lewes still had time to test Cheshunt’s nerves with three late free kicks and despite an attempted bicycle kick from Kaiser, the visitors held on to share the spoils.

The Rooks remain in 10th place after the result but again lose pace on the play-off places, now trailing 5th-placed Horsham by eight points.

After a more favourable run of fixtures over the festive period, Lewes’ games now get harder on paper, with a trip to league leaders Dover Athletic this Saturday.

Kick-off at the Crabble Athletic Ground (CT17 0QJ) is at 3pm.

Lewes: Bull; Allen, Spinks, Kaiser, Ojemen (Jones, 57’); Muirhead (Morris, 33’), Allsopp (Puemo, 79’), Sablier; Ekpiteta (Ladapo, 66’), Botti, Bassett (C).