Molesey inflicted Tooting & Mitcham’s first league defeat of the campaign thanks to Stafforde Palmer’s two first half free kicks and a superb rearguard performance.

If Ryman League points were awarded for possession and attempts at goal then league leaders Tooting would have comfortably walked away with all three at Walton Road.

But they’re not. The Moles undoubtedly rode their luck at times, but put in a battling performance to record back-to-back wins for the first time this campaign.

All the more remarkable was that eight of the eleven who started were part of the side humiliated by Walton Casuals just six days earlier, and this was a performance that could not have been more different.

Makeshift centre halves Joe Pratley-Jones and Dre Grobler defended fearlessly, with Craig Lewington, Ross Chalke, and as the game wore on the all-action Tom Windsor all providing effective screens.

However, pick of the bunch was goalkeeper Liam Allen, who made crucial saves at key times. His best performance in a Molesey shirt, and the club’s best goalkeeping performance in recent memory.

There was a minute’ silence impeccably observed before the sides kicked off in memory of Molesey Vets’ player Ian Radar, and the Moles used it as a springboard to make a lightning start.

Palmer was sent sprawling on the edge of the box inside the opening two minutes, but picked himself up to fire the free kick over the wall and into the net via Mattie Pierson’s glove.

Marlon Rodney cut inside two defenders and shot just over as the Moles continued to press, and doubled the scoreline in the 20th minute when Tundre Aderonmu was this time sent tumbling on the opposite side of the box.

Palmer’s connection wasn’t great, and as the ball trickled almost apologetically towards goal, Pierson inexplicably tried to keep it out with his feet, got himself in a muddle, and the ball somehow crept over the line.

Queue the prolonged spell of Tooting pressure. Almost immediately Allen was making the pick of his saves, diving acrobatically to keep out Michael Dixon’s glancing header.

Billy Dunn managed to clear goal, netting, and even a house behind the goal, and got only marginally closer with another effort shortly afterwards.

Fortunately for the Moles Tooting had no one of the calibre of Palmer on set piece duty, with fairly lame efforts from promising positions by Jordan Wilson and Ollie Bennett not troubling Allen.

At times the second half resembled an exercise in attack versus defence. Allen made a smart stop at the beginning of the half when Dixon burst through one on one, and at the other end Joe Nwoko very nearly capitalised from a breakdown in communication between Pierson and Antonio Simeone.

There was pinball in the box, last ditch tackles, more good saves, and laughably bad finishing. In the midst of it all it was actually the Moles who came closest to adding to the scoring when Pratley-Jones stole in unmarked at Lewington’s corner and saw his effort cleared off the line, with some half-hearted appeals that the ball was in.

Molesey’s two goal cushion was halved with eleven minutes still to play when substitute Matt Price scored from close range following good work from Taurean Roberts.

Allen still had time to pull off another cracking save as the Moles held firm, and saw out the final few moments camped by the Tooting corner flag.

It says a lot about the character of the Moles that their two heavy, energy-sapping defeats this season against Dorking Wanderers and Walton Casuals have been followed immediately with morale-boosting wins.

They now face a tricky couple of fixtures with a trip to Cray Wanderers followed by a home clash with Hastings United next Tuesday.