HARTLEY Wintney are within touching distance of the Combined Counties League Premier Division title after 2-1 win over Chessington and Hook, which was played at Molesey as Chessington's ground was waterlogged.

The first chance of the game fell to the Row after nine minutes as Sam Argent fired just over Steven Duff's cross.

Chessy's Tyrone Newton then beat the Hartley offside trap but fired wide and then Duff fired over.

The home goalkeeper Mark Daniels, then pulled off a good save from Argent with his foot and repeated the save from the following up shot from Adam Everiss.

Hartley were unlucky not to take the lead just before half time, when an Aaron Parfitt cross was headed against the post by Duff Chessy started the second half brightly and Dan Coombse shot just past the post after good work by Tate Greenaway.

On 58 minutes Hartley took the lead, as Argent forced his way through and found Dean Stow on right side of the penalty area.

He cut inside and sent an unstoppable shot into the to corner of the net from the 18-yard line.

Hartley almost increased the lead on 64 minutes when Argent’s low shot hit the post.

Two minutes later, the home side equalised. After some inter passing along the 18 yard line, Tate Greenaway sent a fierce shot into the roof of the net .

Two minutes later, Hartley regained the lead from a hotly disputed penalty after Argent went down in the box. Stow stepped up and scored with a low shot.

On 70 minutes there was an altercation near the Hartley penalty box which saw many players involved, as the home side were still felt aggrieved about the penalty and Greenway was shown a yellow card.

As the altercation continued the same player was shown another yellow card and went to the dressing room.

The Chessy management were furious and pointed out that the second yellow should have been given to a different player.

The referee rescinded the red card and Greenaway returned from the dressing room. However eight minutes later Greenaway put in a bad challenge on Callum Eagle and received a third yellow and a second red card.

On 81 minutes, Chessy almost equalised as Newton's shot took a deflection and went just over the bar and then in the last minute a fierce shot from substitute Tam Jones crashed off the crossbar.

Joint manager Daniel Brownlie said: "It took us too long to get going, but when we did we were fantastic, creating chance after chance.

"It was one of the craziest games I've been involved in, the referee had send off their number nine after giving him his second yellow, only to recall the player two minutes later saying that he took back the yellow card.

"I've never seen anything like it, the player was sent off 20 minutes later for another foul. It wasn't the prettiest, but it's three points in the bag and another step closer to achieving something monumental.

The victory means that if Camberley fail to win against Epsom on Saturday and Hartley win at Chertsey, they will be crowned champions.