THE ALWAYS HORRIBLE TRIP TO BEXLEY

Wandsworth Borough 6s, without the injured Mark Swirkowski, took a late lead when substitute Nuno Mendes scored moments after coming on.

But St Mary's levelled when their overly vocal striker was given time to turn in the Wandsworth Borough box and blast in from close range.

Wandsworth Borough remain 6th in South 8, level on points with 7th place Reigate.

Without Swirkowski, who travelled to Bexley following a calf injury but was ultimately not risked, the visitors controlled an engrossing game against a St Mary’s side who had put together a decent set of results.

Fujio Matsui was the chief threat, firing a fierce shot over the bar in the first half, then seeing a close-range effort disallowed after the break because the ball had gone out play before Neil Watkins crossed.

However, their reward came when Nuno Mendes whipped into the bottom left corner from 20 yards for his 6th Wandsworth Borough goal of the season.

St Mary’s only defeat in their recent run came in last month's reverse cup fixture at Roehampton Vale and, before the rematch, manager “The Major of Bexley” urged his players to show they could compete against opponents of "the highest level".

While Wandsworth Borough dominated possession and territory, St Mary’s were far from outclassed and their resolve was rewarded when their overly vocal striker blasted in his only chance of the night.

The Kentish striker, who played in the Wandsworth Borough youth ranks, was able to turn away from Martin Skalicky in the penalty area and fire in through the legs of the keeper.

The 6s now travel to Whitgifts, looking to get back to winning ways after picking up a valuable point away from home.