Whyteleafe remain third in Ryman Division One South after coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at home to in-form Redhill.

Substitute Tommy Smith hit the second-half equaliser that rescued a point for the home side, who continue to find wins harder to come by on the Church Road 3G than on the road.

A frustrating afternoon was further marred by a serious head injury to Leafe’s central defender Louis Hollingsworth.

Redhill came into the game on the back of three straight wins, including an FA Cup victory over Ryman Premier side Tonbridge Angels, and it was clear in the opening quarter-hour that Leafe faced a tough afternoon, as the sides cancelled each other in midfield and chances were scarce.

The game sprang to life after 17 minutes as Leafe created a series of chances.

Jason Thompson went on a trademark driving run from midfield, exchanged passes with Greg Andrews and fired a low shot at goal from outside the box that was well saved by Redhill keeper Michael Hunter.

A minute later, the opening goal looked sure to come as Thompson and Roscoe D’Sane sent a rapid succession of shots goalbound, but more last-ditch goalkeeping and defensive blocks somehow kept them at bay.

Redhill responded well with some threatening counter-attacking, with Whyteleafe old boy Chris O’Flaherty in particular creating danger on the wing.

On 21 minutes, some nice interplay between Tyrone Pink, Scott Harris and O’Flaherty opened up a good chance, but Sheikh Ceesay was not called into action as the final shot was scuffed wide.

The better chances, though, were being created by the home team.

Twice in the space of a minute, Redhill again had Hunter to thank for keeping them on level terms, as he needed every inch of his big frame to claw away shots by Thompson and Andrews that were heading into the top-left corner of his goal.

Just after the half-hour mark, it was again Redhill’s turn to attack, but Leyton Regen missed with a header when granted more space in the box than Leafe would have liked.

The course of the match was altered on 37 minutes - a cross from the Redhill right flank was well defended by Leafe, but it was immediately clear that Hollingsworth was in trouble following an accidental collision with a team-mate.

He had sustained a serious cut above an eye, and it was reported afterwards that he had lost consciousness for around 20 seconds.

He was stretchered off and taken to hospital for tests, and replaced in the heart of defence by Tommy Smith.

Understandably the home players looked temporarily shaken by such a nasty injury to a team-mate, and six minutes later they fell a goal behind.

Skipper Dylan Merchant was adjudged to have tripped a Redhill attacker in the box, and O’Flaherty made no mistake from the spot, slamming home to Ceesay’s left to send the visitors in at half-time with the lead.

The second half began with the two sides trading chances.

Midweek hero Andrews sprang the Redhill defensive line on 49 minutes, but was forced slightly wide by some good recovery defending and his shot was comfortably saved.

Then on 55 minutes, Redhill went close to doubling their lead when a fine volley by Regen flashed just wide.

Two minutes later, though, Leafe were level - a Ryan Fowler corner from the left eluded Hunter, who was under the close attentions of Merchant in the six-yard box, and the ball fell at the far post to Smith, who bundled it into the unguarded net from close range.

The goal had the Leafe faithful sensing that another win was on the cards, but at around the hour mark they instead had to weather Redhill’s most sustained period of pressure in the game.

Nathan Simpson was forced to scramble the ball over his own bar from close range, and Redhill captain Jon Difford had a golden chance to put the visitors back in front on 63 minutes, only to misdirect a clear header well wide.

From that point on, it was all Leafe in terms of possession and chances, and ultimately they might feel it was a game they should have won.

Sam Clayton, on as a substitute for Jason Henry after 61 minutes, fired over just four minutes later after Andrews had set him up.

Two minutes later, Thompson had a free kick well saved, and as the game moved into the final 10 minutes, Bentley Graham saw a goalbound shot deflected away by a defender.

The best chance of all came on 84 minutes when Thompson sent a slashing left-foot cross-field pass to DSane, who had found space on the Whyteleafe right.

His pinpoint cross eluded the defence and found substitute Tommy Harper, ghosting in unmarked at the far post, but he was unable to connect properly with his shot and the ball squirmed wide.

Four minutes later, good work from Clayton again found Harper bearing down on goal on the left.

This time he rifled a firm shot on goal, but Hunter was equal to the task and kept the ball out at his near post.

With the seconds ticking down, Leafe earned one last corner on the left – the source of their only goal of the game.

Fowler again delivered it well to find Clayton at the far post, but it reached him just too high to get a meaningful boot on it and the final chance of the afternoon had gone.

Next up for Leafe is a trip to Carshalton Athletic (October 7) in the Ryman League Cupm ahead of a trip to Corinthian Casuals on Friday (October 10).

Whyteleafe: Ceesay, Patterson-Bohner, Simpson, Hollingsworth (Smith 37), Merchant, Thompson, Fowler, Graham, DSane, Andrews (Harper 70), Henry (Clayton 61).