The visitors fell behind inside the opening minute, when a ball over the top caught Adam Phillips the wrong side of Jack Evans, who made no mistake is poking under Mant.

But they weren't behind for long, with Gary Lockyer striking a volley beyond Andy Walker into the corner to draw parity, for the striker's eighth goal of the campaign.

Shortly after, Craig Calvert very nearly put Ton ahead - Lockyer's teasing low ball across the face of goal met by the midfielder who slammed against the far post.

Injury woes mount ahead of the visit of Hollands & Blair at Homelands on Tuesday evening, with Ton forced into making all three subs against Chats after just 37 minutes.

First Harry Stow was forced off after a nasty aerial clash just after the quarter hour, before returning goalkeeper, Joe Mant, pulled-up with a re-occuring quad injury in clearing a back-pass; and moments later, Calvin Sedenu needed hospital treatment for a head injury.

The second half started almost the same as the first - Ton conceding early on, with talisman, Dan Bradshaw capitalising on a mix-up - again from a long ball - to roll into an unguarded net from an acute angle.

Ton rallied, and had a very good spell midway through the half in creating down the flanks through James Haylock-Ashdown and Liam Middleton, with play spread effectively by midfield pairing Robbie Dolan and Harry Lavender - but just couldn't find a clear-cut opening for their endeavours.

The game was wrapped-up fifteen minutes before the end - Bradshaw again the beneficiary, when a routine back pass from Phillips fell short to substitute keeper, Sam Hignett, allowing the forward to nip in and tuck home.

Hignett pulled off two very good saves in the closing stages to deny the hosts from adding gloss to the score line.

Boss Dan Scorer will need to shuffle his pack for Tuesday night's fixture (7.45pm), with Tommy Scorer (ankle ligament) and Gary Clarke (quad) also still out, added to by Charlie Owen's unavailability for the next five weeks, due to an overlapping ban received while playing for another club.

SCEFL - PREMIER DIVISION TABLE

TON: Mant (Hignett 35'), Stow (Hughes 16'), Penfold, Phillips, Sedenu (Kirby 37'), Lavender, Dolan, Calvert, Lockyer, Middleton, Haylock-Ashdown. Unused: Owen, Scorer.

Att: 366

Article Photo: Sam Mallia Photography