Prime travelled to Tonbridge to face perenial bogey team Woodlands Reserves without several key players from last week's win in East Peckham.

Bishop's absence was expected, but 'keeper Lewis Kerton was ruled out with a stiff shoulder suffered when colliding with a post whilst making a save last week. Manager Goldsmith donned the gloves for the second time in his Prime career. There was a further blow when top scorer Joe Walker pulled out with an arm injury. His place went to Brabon, with Sander coming in for Bishop.

The game started fairly evenly but it was apparent from the off that the surface was very bobbly and not conducive to passing football.

All of the play was conducted in the middle third of the pitch with both defences coping comfortably with the opposition's strikers - to the relief of Prime's stand in keeper Goldsmith who enjoyed a very quiet first 45 minutes.

Prime only carved out some half-chances with Excell and Brabon both flashing drives over the bar from outside the box.

The visitors were struggling to get Henshall into the game and Sander was getting little change out of Woodlands' left-back - although he did look suspect the one time that Sander got the ball down and ran at him.

Abu and Walters were putting in hard work in the middle of the park, but they were outnumbered due to Woodlands' 4-5-1 formation.

It was no surprise when it was goalless at the break and Prime hoped that they would put their foot on the gas in the second half. Henshall and Sander switched wings in an attempt to get both of them into the game.

Prime were certainly not playing like a side top of the table and rather than improving in the second half, they sat back and allowed Woodlands to forced a series of dangerous throws and corners.

Goldsmith produced a smart stop from one corner, but minutes later, Prime fell behind. A corner was only half-cleared and a shot was driven back in through a ruck of players. Prime had Davis on the line, but as he tried to clear the ball, it bobbled up and over his leg and found the corner of the net.

It was little more than Woodlands deserved and they nearly doubled their lead when their experienced midfielder Paul Brazil let fly from the edge of the box, but the crossbar came to Goldsmith's rescue and he was able to gather the rebound.

Sander and Davis were replaced by Goulding and Barnham as Prime sought a way back into the game.

It was a measure of Prime's abject performance that left-back Dave Ellis looked their most dangerous attacking threat. His mazy dribble down the left flank was cruedly ended by a very late challenge by the Woodlands centre-back just on the edge of the box.

Abu took the resultant kick which flicked up off the top of the wall and amazingly landed in the prone keeper's grasp as he laid on the ground on the goal-line.

Prime tried to push men forward but with nothing sticking with their front 2, it was hard to see how Prime would force a leveller and indeed Woodlands looked increasingly dangerous on the break, with Goldsmith having to hare from his line a couple of times to deny their striker.

Walters was replaced by Gilbert for the last 15 minutes, with skipper Matt Walker pushed into midfield to try and compete in the air - an area where Prime were particularly weak all afternoon.

Gilbert was at full stretch to keep Woodlands' lone striker quiet and when he tackled the striker on the corner of the box, he reacted angrily as the striker made the most of a powder-puff challenge, seeking to win a penalty. Thankfully the excellent referee Seymour was not fooled.

Prime sent the ever-impressive Parsons forward for the closing minutes, but in truth they never really looked like equalising and Woodlands held on to claim the points and severely dent Prime's championship challenge.

6 points are now a must from next week's double-header against F.C. Revolution - although their watching players today must have left thinking that they would be favourites!