The warm sunshine brought me a short drive from Selhurst Park, where I had just watched Palace beat West Ham 4-3, to the Mayfield Stadium. The Mayfield is the home of AFC Croydon, from whom today’s home side, Balham FC, groundshare, The Mayfield Stadium is accessed from a lane which takes you from Croydon to what feels like rural 1950s Suburbia, as it winds past allotments, horses in a field and then past playing fields and a cricket pitch, before becoming an unmade road where suddenly the Mayfield Stadium looms!

The ground doesn’t disappoint, with a huge covered main grandstand and a wealth of covered standing. There is also a clubhouse and refreshment stand. The pitch is grass, although it did look to be as tired as the end of season grass pitches of old.

Balham sit in mid table safety, ninth, with 50 points from their 36 games. Today’s opponents, Camberley Town, are also safe, in twelfth with 46 points from 35 matches.

The game opened with some excitement when Balham’s Ray Moore broke away in the third minute to fire past Aaron Holt in the Camberley goal to put the home side 1-0 up.

The first half was then very evenly fought. Balham continued to press down the left with Cruz Rosa as well as looking for a long ball to reach Moore, who had scored the opener. Camberley used the height and strength of Taylor and Zante-Botti, to cause problems for the home side.

On the stroke of half time, Camberley Town were awarded a penalty, after a clumsy challenge in the Balham area. The penalty was taken by Zanre-Botti and resulted in a decent low save by the debutant, Mainwaring, in the Balham goal, ensuring at the break the sides went in with Balham leading 1-0.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the first. Both sides had good chances but no one could make inroads into converting possession into goals. Then in the 77th minute Camberley had a player sent off, after what seemed an unnecessary challenge. This changed the balance of play and Balaham really began to use the extra player as an advantage.

In the 82nd minute Joel Onu broke free and half volleyed the ball home, to put Balham 2-0 ahead and effectively seal the three points.

There was still time, in the 90th minute, for Joel Onu to score his second, making it 3-0 and putting the game beyond doubt.

At full time, it was deservedly Balham FC who walked away with the win. There was much promise from the home side, that could signal opportunities, if they can maintain this quality in 2023-24.