Lowestoft Town's eight-match unbeaten run came to an end at picturesque Merstham in a game which should have gleaned at least a point.
It was a game where Lowestoft enjoyed the major share of possession but although the Merstham keeper was the busier of the two it was Jake Jessup who had the more difficult saves to make.
Lowestoft had made two changes to their starting line up with Rory McAuley and Harvey Hodd replacing Travis Cole and Jamie Forshaw who dropped to the bench.
Lowestoft started the game strongly and there was an early chance for them as Shaun Bammant and Jake Reed combined down the left but Nico Cotton just failed to get a firm contact and stabbed the ball wide.
Harry Barker and Hodd were combining well down the right and from the latter's cross Bammant's header flew straight at keeper Josh Smith. Ryan Jarvis picked out Cotton's run who played Hodd in but, as his shot was blocked, Barker hooked the rebound just too high.
Lowestoft had been dominating the first half with some fluent attacking but were given a warning just before the break when the swift Alex Addai raced to the bye-line and pulled the ball back for Omar Folkes to prod past Jake Jessup but Barker was covering well to clear off the goal line.
Early second half action saw an Adam Smith free kick deflected wide and a Reed header saved at full length by Josh Smith before Merstham broke away to open the scoring very much against the run of play. A ball played out from their own penalty area by Merstham saw Reece Hall race away down the left. He pulled the ball back to Dan Bennett whose shot was blocked but rebounded to Folkes at the edge of the area and he threaded the ball through a crowd of legs and in off the inside of the far post.
Spurred by the goal Merstham had a purple patch which saw Jessup produce three excellent saves to prevent Town from falling further behind.
As the game wore on Merstham seemed content to sit on their lead allowing Lowestoft to get back on top but you could sense it was not going to be their day as Cotton's cross was headed against the foot of the post by Bammant whose follow up also hit the upright.
Merstham: J Smith, Cooper, Campbell, Douglas, Henriques, Vidal. Addai (Sub Howard 85), Kavanagh, Folkes (Sub Fofana 75), Bennett, Hall (Sub Abnett 75), Subs (not used) Gough, Bailey-Allen
Lowestoft Town: Jessup, Barker, A Smith, Fisk (Sub Henderson 77), Mcauley (Sub Cole 80), Blake-Tracy, Hodd (Sub Forshaw 86), Ryan Jarvis, Reed, Cotton, Bammant.
Referee: Mr J Richardson
Attendance: 204
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