Tooting and Mitcham United 0 AFC Croydon Athletic 1 – 16 August 2025 Report

Match Report

I’m not going to sugar-coat it; Tooting & Mitcham undeservedly departed the FA Cup for another year, following a strange performance from referee Samuel Palmer who denied one penalty shout, gave another (much softer) one, and reduced the Terrors to ten men – predominantly due to a needless ‘water break’ shortly before half-time. Given those circumstances, and the performance put in by a determined Terrors side against their in-form higher-level opponents, the afternoon must go down as one of the most frustrating in recent seasons – and there have been many contenders for that title!

The bare facts of the match are these; Tooting took the game to local rivals Croydon Athletic, dominated for long periods – particularly in the first half – and will feel peeved not to have extended their tenure in the famous old competition for – at the very least – another round. After a cagey opening, in which both teams were content to feel out their opposite number, the first point of contention came just after the quarter-hour, when a promising home attack – instigated by the livewire Freddie Jones – was halted by a visiting defender’s hand, when his attempt to chest the ball down in the penalty area resulted in it running down his arm and glancing off the hand. No penalty, according to Palmer who waved play on. OK, fair enough – it was one of those decisions that some give, some don’t. But, having denied it, the official should have been mindful of any further claims – especially coming from the visitors – and applied the same leniency, if the contest were to remain fair.

The game then burst into life, after Shay Brennan had a sight of goal in the 25th minute; more good work by Freddie saw the ball slipped through for our prolific marksman, but a defender stuck tight, and got a foot in as Shay attempted the shot. Shortly after, the same combination provided a glorious chance for the opener – but once again it was spurned. Freddie’s bamboozling run down the right drew keeper Amadou Tangara (an absolute mountain of a man) off his line, and left him stranded as our wing-back cleverly squared for his colleague. Shay collected the ball in his stride, and struck it confidently, but Michael Kamara (a late replacement for former Terror Darryl Siaw) managed to get back and block it on the goal-line. As the half ended, Max Oldham created a chance but couldn’t get sufficient power on his shot, and Tangara saved comfortably; minutes later, Conor Melody skipped past a defencer, crossed dangerously, and Max – in a more promising position this time – dragged his shot wide.

High temperatures had been forecast, but never materialised. In fact it was a somewhat chilly, overcast afternoon, so the decision for a water-break – five minutes before half-time – seemed odd. With an injured player receiving treatment, some of the players indulged in what appeared a light-hearted water-fight. Referee Palmer saw fit to issue some of those involved (two Croydon players, and Darral Wopara) yellow cards for their actions. More on that later. It was goalless at the break.

The second half was a much grittier affair; both sides dug in defensively, and what had been an open game in the first period became a stalemate, largely bogged down in midfield with chances few and far between. Just past the hour, Darral Wopara received his marching orders after an ill-judged challenge on Junior Savane. OK, Darral should have been a little more circumspect after his earlier misfortune but, given the nature of his first infraction, it still seemed a little draconian to send him from the pitch, particularly as the whistle had already been blown for offside before his actions.

A man light, Tooting were always going to be up against it in the time that remained, but salt was well and truly rubbed into the wound when the Rams were given a spot-kick. I’m biased (of course), but non-league Groundhopper and blogger Ian King (of the excellent Unexpected Delirium website) – in attendance on this day – described the decision thus: “I’ll be going some to better the award of this kick as the worst I’ll see all season; an attacker feigning getting kicked in the face, by a not particularly high boot, with twenty minutes to play”. That’s good enough for me. Antonio Simeone was the ‘offender’ penalised; Nya Kirby the scorer of the kick. The Rams defended the advantage reasonably comfortably against the ten men. I left thinkng I’d rather have seen us taken apart 5-0, than lose in such a gut-punching fashion.

Team Lineup