On a blustery night at Imperial Fields, Croydon Athletic produced probably their best performance of the season to knock Tooting & Mitcham out of the London Senior Cup 3-2.

After Saturday’s disappointing result at Crawley Down only one change was made to the side with Jordan Cheadle replacing Tony Cuff.

In a first half where The Rams enjoyed a large amount of possession both sides showed why they are at the wrong end of their respective tables by failing to score.

Charlie Mann and his defence coped easily with Tooting’s attacks while at the other end Connor French and George Landais looked dangerous going forward.

In one attack, French latched on to a bad back pass but his shot was saved by Jack Giddens in the Tooting goal and James Fray and Landais had follow up shots saved before the ball was cleared.

Just before the break, a Peter Wedgeworth free kick found Elliott Jones in space but his header hit the post and Billy Marshall just failed to convert the rebound.

The second half began in a similar vein with a Wedgeworth corner causing problems in the Tooting defence and then Fray was released by Cheadle but his shot was saved.

On 61 minutes, Tooting took the lead against the run of play. A wayward pass at the back set up Tooting’s Charlie Dove who fired past Mann.

This set back seemed to galvanise the Rams and they were level in two minutes. A flowing move involving Fray and Jones ended with Jones releasing Landais whose low shot across the keeper found the back of the net.

The Rams almost took the lead when Cheadle shot from just outside the area but the keeper saved.

However, they were not to be denied and when a ball down the right found French faced by two defenders, his quick feet and body strength took past the defenders and he fired home on 70 minutes.

The game was now open as both sides had chances but in the 80th minute Tooting’s Ashley Robinson beat his marker on the right and found a colleague and despite Mann’s fine save the ball fell for Robinson to fire home.

It looked like extra time but Croydon renewed their efforts. Marshall made a surging foray forward only to be tripped on the edge of the area and Cheadle’s free kick was turned away by a diving Giddens.

In the 85th minute, French again took on the Tooting defence, this time on the left and he beat his man but was unceremoniously brought down and the referee awarded a penalty.

Cheadle stepped up to fire past Giddens to give the Rams the lead again. Croydon held out easily and came closest to increasing their lead.

An encouraging night for the battling Rams players brought its just rewards, and the off the field turmoil at the club was for once put on the back burner.

Croydon Athletic: Charlie Mann, Colin Hartburn, Peter Wedgeworth, Elliott Jones, Justin Hemmings, Rob Carter, Billy Marshall, Jordan Cheadle, Connor French, George Landais, James Fray. Subs not used: Tony Cuff, Kery Kedze, Ben Lockett, Michael Corbett, Prince N’Gokumu