Cheddar fought back from the jaws of a further defeat to draw 2-2 with Portishead Town for their first point of the Western League Division One season on Saturday.

The Cheesemen thought they had taken the lead on 18 minutes as Dean Chrisostomou finished well from just inside the box, but it was ruled out for offside.

Town countered as Charlie Williams ran through with only Adam Jones to beat but saw his shot skim the crossbar.

However, the visitors opened the scoring in bizarre fashion when Josh Honey netted from close range on the half-hour as the home defence failed to clear their lines.

Cheddar drew level seven minutes later with George Fairchild scoring with a well struck free kick that goalkeeper George Shanks-Boon failed to hold properly, as the ball trickled over the line.

And Cheddar keeper Jones – more accustomed to scoring legendary goals over the years as opposed to preventing the opposition scoring – performed heroics on the stroke of half-time, brilliantly stopping a fierce effort from Williams as the winger was about to celebrate.

Portishead regained the advantage soon after the restart when George Fowler’s cross-shot deceived Jones and sailed into the top right corner of the net.

And it looked like the young Cheesemen would suffer a third successive defeat until, with minutes remaining the hard-working hosts grabbed a deserved equaliser with a well-worked move.

Callum Black floated a searching ball over the heads of a pedestrian-looking Town defence and Shanks-Boon came out to claim the ball but Chrisostomou, full of running, was alert to the opportunity and stabbed the ball over the line.

Lewis Chappell was named man of the match for Cheddar and manager Michael Dangerfield said: "I’m really proud of how the boys bounced back from going behind twice.

"They scored following an error by us at the back and then with a fluke cross-shot. To score two good goals against a team that have won their first two games is pleasing.

"It’s a point on the board and another performance to build on.”

Cheddar travel to newly promoted Shirehampton on Saturday, before returning to Bowdens Park to face last season’s play-off finalists Warminster Town on Tuesday (7.45pm).