A VASTLY improved performance from Soham fell short of the merits it deserved after a late equaliser from visiting Marlow Town saw the game finish 1-1. Although the Greens produced as coherent a performance in attack as they have all season, they were una

A VASTLY improved performance from Soham fell short of the merits it deserved after a late equaliser from visiting Marlow Town saw the game finish 1-1.

Although the Greens produced as coherent a performance in attack as they have all season, they were unable to find the killer second goal and were ultimately forced into a share of the points after Marlow's Ishmael Gyapong scrambled home late on.

Despite lamenting the loss of two points boss Ian Benjamin was still able to appreciate the positives in the wake of the game: "I think this was one of our best performances at home this season and I think this was as solid a display from our defence as I have seen for a long time, he said.

"We had a number of chances to get the second goal and kill the game but we couldn't quite find our way through and at this level if you don't kill teams off your get punished."

Several games in recent weeks have seen Soham fall victim to a lack of focus, often resulting in them falling behind, but there was no sign of such disorder on this occasion as the home side seized control of the midfield from the off.

Once able to get the ball at their feet, Soham presented a real threat going forward and found a good deal of success down the wings with both Shawn Richards and a marauding Scott Johnson able to exploit space on several occasions.

Their persistence found reward after 18 minutes when Johnson was brought down just outside the area to present the Greens with a dangerous set-piece. Paul Jones made no mistake with his delivery and the ball found the net after a combination of Michael Simpson's header and a scrambling defender conspired to give Soham the lead.

One could easily have been two not long after the opener as a visibly panicked Marlow defence failed to deal with another set-piece which resulted in captain Chris Elsegood slicing wildly over his own bar.

The game settled after the furore of the goal and both sides found chances hard to come by as the half wore on, with respective midfields battling hard for control.

Marlow's John Issac miscued a whipped cross over the bar to spurn their best opportunity of the half while Andy Furnell also wasted a good chance to add to the scoring after nodding a measured cross from Richards over.

In the second half the game became bogged down in the centre of the park and both sides seemed content to exchange possession. Sensing the game was stagnating both sides made attacking changes and Darren Jimson was introduced by Benjamin in a bid to garner some ball retention in the final third.

With 20 minutes left Richards was sent clear by Adam Weston and was presented with the ideal chance to seal the points with only the keeper to beat. It wasn't the keeper who proved the problem in the end though, as Richards' strike thundered back off the bar and away to safety.

As the game entered its final 10 minutes Marlow threw numbers forward and the gamble paid off as a scramble in the box fell at the feet of substitute Gyapong who poked home to make it 1-1.

The point sees Soham move into 14th place in the league with their next league game at home to Bedworth United on Saturday 21.