An entertaining derby between Lewisham Borough and Bermondsey Town ended with honours even in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division.

Although it has been a tough first ever season at this level for the visitors, they rushed into a two goal lead and their more established hosts had to work hard to claim a point.

Bermondsey captain Tom Beckford spotted Khiani Shombe off his line in the opening minutes but the Boro keeper recovered quickly to catch the attempted lob.

Martin Sontan had a shot deflected wide for Lewisham however Bermondsey were soon on the attack again. Tobi Irefin beat the offside trap and tried to slide it beyond Shombe but he got down well to save.

Shombe was helpless in the fourteenth minute, though. Beckford chased an apparent lost cause and kept it in before pulling it back for Irefin to tuck it inside the far post.

Five minutes later Irefin scored again with another first time finish after Peter Ogunbiyi knocked it down.

However, after a further four minutes, Lewisham were back in the game when Michael Amponah rose to head home Sineen Sineen’s corner.

Jerry Afamefune curled over for the visitors before Lewisham enjoyed the best of the remainder of the half. Peter Sequira shot over from the edge of the area before Erik Shehu fired well off target.

Amponsah was unable to keep his free kick down then Ethan Emmon shot over from a tight angle when a pull back might have been a better option.

At half time, Boro manager Lloyd Davis made a double change bringing on Aidan O’Dwyer and George Harris for Jaydan Robinson and Salim Ahmed as they looked to up the pace.

Despite that, it was the visitors who were quickest out of the blocks, just as they had been in the first half. Phillip Arifiye got into a great position but couldn’t find Ogunbiyi for a tap in.

Having seen off that spell, Lewisham levelled eleven minutes after the break. Sontan got in front of his man, turned, and fired home.

Bermondsey came close to going back ahead when Shombe struggled to control a back-pass when being chased down, Irefin nicked it away from him and Afamefune broke away. He cut in, but under pressure from Shombe, he rolled it wide from a tight angle.

After that let off, Boro looked to try and get a winner but they were reduced to long shots by Bermondsey’s determined defence. Amponsah whistled a drive from twenty five yards that went just wide then he tried his luck again with a shot from outside the area that took a deflection and was saved by William Radford.

One last chance came their way in the closing minutes when substitute Aaron Moore got a shot away inside the penalty area but Radford was equal to it, keeping it out with his feet.

Lewisham Borough: Shombe, Robinson (O’Dwyer 46), Akano, Ahmed (Harris 46), Amponsah (Adeshina 89), Burton, Sontan, Shehu, Emmon (Moore 83), Sequira, Sineen.

Subs not used: Rose.

Goal scorers: Amponsah (23), Sontan (56)

Yellow cards: Sontan

Bermondsey Town: Radford, Bye, Green, George, Bishard, Berry, Irefin, Arifiye (Brady 55), Ogunbiyi (Ifanncok 72)), Beckford, Afamefune (Ogunbanwo 80).

Subs not used: Kebapci.

Goal scorers: Irefin (14), (19)

Yellow cards: Bishard, Arifiye

Referee: Mike Donnelly

Assistants: Silvester Aina and Hamish Louie

Attendance: 40