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Combined Counties Premier League EPSOM & EWELL 2 Marvell, 25; Burns, 54 GUILDFORD CITY 0
After bombing round the M25 with Matt H and Joe, we arrived at Merland Rise in good time. Matt and I then got to grips with the team sheet under the expert eye of former secretary Paul Milton. Milts must have loved being at a Guildford game without having to worry about all the Committee duties. His will be difficult boots to fill but Matt and I managed ok – especially when we found out that the burly Scotsman who was Epsom’s match secretary, was brand new to the job as well! After frantically filling out the form, the three of us took our place behind the Epsom goal for the first half. Guildford were not at full strength for this game. As well as missing red card specialist Tommy Tydeman, new signing Terry Lineker and Lance Banton-Brown were injured, Elvis DeFreitas was unavailable and the influential Jamie King was at a wedding. On the plus side, Jamie Thoroughgood was making his debut as captain of the side – a role he has recently started fulfilling for the Surrey Under 18 side. At 17 years old he must surely be one of City’s youngest ever skippers. As alluded to, Guildford were definitely the stronger team in the opening minutes, belying their label as relegation favourites. The visitors won a corner in the 4th minute and the impressive Jack Turner fired in a good shot which was turned behind: the second set piece ending in a goal kick. Minutes later, Harrison Carnegie, with the confidence of 9 goals in pre season, tore down the wing but ran out of space and passing options and was dispossessed. The home side eventually recovered, but their first effort in the 9th minute was a tame cross into the mitts of new goalkeeper Anthony Hall. Two minutes later City had their second chance of the game, Anthony Bridgeman shredding his markers but being forced out towards the corner flag and shooting over the bar from an extreme angle. The Es, having realised this match would be far from a walkover, responded and should have scored in the 15th minute, their forward beating the offside trap and going one-on-one with the keeper. Amazingly however, his shot cannoned back off the post and was cleared to safety by Guildford’s relieved defenders. The visitors responded and Bridgeman should have tried a solo effort in the 17th minute when he found himself on the edge of the box with only a defender and the keeper to beat. As it was his slide-rule pass fell easily to Epsom’s defenders and the ball was cleared. He did better a few minutes later, however, crossing from the byline towards Cory Knight who couldn’t quite get his head to the ball. Guildford won themselves another chance in the 23rd minute with a freekick near the byline, however Turner sent the ball wide of the far post. Minutes later Ben Rayner tried his luck from the edge of the box but his well struck shot flew straight into Paul Borg’s arms. With so much momentum behind them it was a real shock when City fell behind – the Es beating Guildford’s rearguard with some smooth passing and allowing Dale Marvell to break through and slot clinically past Anthony Hall. The next ten minutes were all Epsom as they finally found the space they needed to cause their guests problems. In the 27th minute a well struck cross just missed the head of an Epsom forward, before the home side won a freekick in a dangerous position. Luckily for City, Hall was equal to the delivery and he held the ball comfortably. The visitors recovered, however, and Bridgeman went on the attack, beating the offside trap and getting into a good shooting position. Yet again though, his shot flew over the bar. The City forward then got injured but instead of kicking the ball out, both sets of players continued playing and a scuffle developed between Tony Chaplin and another player which quickly escalated. To his credit, the ref quickly restored order and gave Tony Chaplin and the Epsom player a (very lenient) yellow card each – both players having hit out at each other. The half concluded with chances for both sides – an Epsom freekick in a good position being cleared and an impressive sortie down the right wing by Graham Tydeman culminating in a good cross which was nearly put into the Epsom net by one of the home side’s defenders. The whistle blew and after all the hard work and stress of the close season, it was time to finally reap the rewards of being a CCL committee member, as myself and the rest of the Committee were treated to tea and cake in the Epsom and Ewell board room. I got a lot of stick for my hat: an Australian bush hat, a la Tony Shaw (although of course, only Tony’s hat is magic!) When I asked where the toilet was, surprise was expressed that I didn’t just use my hat!! The Scottish fixtures secretary was particularly amusing – I never did ask him whether he approved of having a player in his side called Robbie Burns! The second half kicked off and the home side quickly started to boss the game and pose problems for their opponents. Within three minutes Hall had to get his mitts to a well struck shot from the edge of the area and moments later Epsom fired a shot narrowly over the bar. City finally responded, Bridgeman yet again carving out a chance but firing into the mitts of Borg from the edge of the area. Guildford could not stem the tide however and in the 54th minute the Es scored again – none other than the Scottish bard himself finishing off a well worked move to give the home side what would be an unassailable lead. Clearly shell-shocked, the visitors could have conceded again when an Es forward yet again went through a few minutes later – somehow though, he fired his shot wide of the near post when it seemed easier to score. Back came City though and Bridgeman again went close before new signing Keno Tracey and Paul Gough joined the fray, replacing Turner and Chaplin. The next 15 minutes or so were largely uneventful, a City freekick being well held by Borg, while at the other end a corner failed to trouble Anthony Hall. The game once again came back to life in the 75th minute when Borg caught a cross but the ball appeared to be knocked out of his hands by a defender, allowing Keno Tracey to slide the ball into the net. Controversially the ref ruled that the keeper had been fouled and disallowed the goal – much to our and the players’ disgust. Three minutes later the action switched to the other end with Hall pulling off an outstanding reflex safe at point blank range to prevent the Es notching their third – this even gained the admiration of the home fans. New midfielder Liam Hirrel then joined the action and immediately started putting in some tasty challenges. He was extraordinarily fortunate in the 85th minute only to get a yellow when he appeared to go in two-footed on an Es player. The crunch could be heard around the ground but the ref gave Hirrel the benefit of the doubt. There was time for Epsom to flash a header just wide of the mark and for Guildford to try a few speculative efforts from distance, before the whistle blew for full time. EPSOM & EWELL: P. Borg; M. Smith; J. Hatfield; A. Rodrigues; P. Soloman; A. McGregor; B. Hayward (J. Ellis, 79); R. Bedj Bedj (S. Sinclair, 72); R. Burns; D. Marvell (M. Jarman, 84); R. Shoefield Subs not used: N. Harrowing; L. White GUILDFORD CITY: Anthony Hall; Graham Tydeman; Tony Arnold; Tom Penson; Jamie Thoroughgood; Ben Rayner; Jack Turner (Paul Gough, 68); Tony Chaplin (Liam Hirrel, 75); Anthony Bridgeman (Keno Tracey, 68); Harrison Carnegie; Cory Knight Subs not used: Luke Bradnick Booked: L. Hirrel; T. Chaplin Referee: L. Reed Attendance: 106
Combined Counties Premier League GUILDFORD CITY 0 SANDHURST TOWN 4 Simmonds 7; 44; Fisk 62, 79 HMMMM this is getting a bit like Groundhog Day – conceding 2 goals on the first day of the season before losing 4-0 at home, sound familiar to last season? Still, after City’s spirited, if ultimately unsuccessful attempt to get something on Saturday, we were all hoping for a bit more from this match. It was not to be though as Guildford crashed 4-0 against a side they spectacularly beat just 5 months ago. Nothing seemed to go right as they conceded early in the first half and then squandered a number of chances. A second goal for the visitors was followed by the sending off of Tony Arnold and Ben Burgess after the two got into a scuffle. Things went from bad to worse in the second half as City worked promisingly but ultimately ineffectively to get onto the scoresheet yet allowed the Fizzers to notch two more in the process. The day of this game meant lots of work for the Guildford City committee as they strived to make sure the Spectrum pitch could be played on after a summer of use for athletics (and some might say, neglect). Alarmingly the goalmouth had only just been re-turfed by the council but new vice chairman Chris Pegman did an admirable job, however, in resolving the concerns of the officials and the ground was finally deemed fit to play. The whole committee then went into overdrive trying to get done the 101 matchday jobs completed. All said quite a few mistakes were made but we managed to struggle through the evening. City lined up in an unfamiliar 4-5-1 formation, Roly, the assistant manager having guessed that Sandhurst’s new signings would give City a torrid time unless they were marked to gunwales. It quickly became clear that this tactic was not working, however, as both Cory Knight and Graham Tydeman got sucked too high up the pitch, leaving the home side critically exposed. It certainly did not take long for the Fizzers to get their noses in front – the ever lively Simmonds tearing into the box and slotting past the helpless Smelt. This setback seemed to wake City from their torpor however and at last they began to look like a half decent side, the ball being passed more fluently and Sandhurst being posed some problems. Indeed Guildford really should have scored on the half hour mark – Cory Knight rising unmarked but heading the ball well wide of the post. More chances came the home side’s way – a corner being claimed by Fizzer custodian Asan Agov and then Jamie King heading straight into the mitts of the keeper. However just when things seemed to be looking more positive, the visitors landed a second blow – Simmonds once again taking on the City defence before firing an exquisite shot along the ground which curled past the out-stretched hand of Jack Smelt (drafted in at the last minute as a replacement for Hall). Surely things could not get any worse? No they actually could – Chaplin reacted to a the Sandhurst defender, Ben Burgess by hitting out at him and his opponent returned the compliment – the result? Both players sent off. Luckily the referee blew for half time moments later. The break was spent chatting to members of the Sandhurst committee and introducing my friend Peter, who I had invited down for the evening, to all the City fans. I think it is fair to say he was a little shocked at the defensive frailty of the home side but all in all (one he had had a bottle of TEA) I think he enjoyed himself!! All too quickly though the players were out on the pitch once again and the second half was ready to start. Guildford had come back from 2-0 down in their last game against Sandhurst but somehow there didn’t seem much prospect of this happening again. The Fizzers were quickly on the attack as soon as the whistle blew – Danny Wilde trying his luck from distance with a decent looking shot in the 51st minute – before Guildford shut up shop and tried desperately to provide some service to their forwards. They were only delaying the inevitable however and in the 62nd minute it duly came – Johnny Fisk beating the offside trap and putting the ball easily past Smelt. In desperation, Kevin Rayner tried shuffling his pack, bringing on pacey new signing Gabriel Adesina to try and drag his side back into the game. Guildford did actually start to look a little more dangerous at this point – a well worked move releasing Bridgeman but his cross went straight into the keeper’s arms. The Guildford wide-man was in action again in the 72nd minute, finally finding some space and advancing dangerously on goal: his shot however was disappointingly high and wide. Minutes later the home side had another chance, an indirect freekick being given on the edge of the box, however Jamie King’s shot went wide of the upright. Astonishingly Guildford managed to squander a fourth decent chance just moments later – another freekick being won but then blasted into the stratosphere. As if this wasn’t depressing enough, Sandhurst then got on the scoresheet again – Fisk tearing down the right wing, beating his marker and then firing clinically into the top corner of the net with another impressive strike. There was still some twelve minutes left to play but neither side showed the stomach to make any further attacks and the match petered out. Let’s hope for a better performance in the FA Cup on Saturday. GUILDFORD CITY: Jack Smelt; G. Tydeman (sub J. Turner, 69); C. Knight; T. Penson; J. Thoroughgood; Elvis Defreitas; T. Chaplin; B. Rayner (sub P. Gough, 15); Jamie King; A. Bridgeman (sub Gabriel Adesina, 64); H. Carnegie Subs not used: K. Tracey; T. Arnold Booked: B. Rayner Sent off: T. Chaplin SANDHURST TOWN: A. Agov; D. Wilson; B. Williams; R. Hogston; B. Burgess; D. Blake; J. Fisk; G. Nesbitt (sub D. Perks, 37); J. Mepham (sub, M. Hopton, 61); D. Simmonds (sub S. Dennison, 78); D. Wilde Subs not used: G. Stokes; M. Weston Sent off: B. Burgess Referee: W. Ingram Attendance: 54
The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON Extra Preliminary Round GUILDFORD CITY 4 Adesina, 25; Carnegie, 41; Bridgeman, 53; Arnold, 76 St FRANCIS RANGERS 1 Gault, 90
After the nightmare which was Wednesday’s game – both on and off the pitch – the City committee convened on the Spectrum intent on ensuring as trouble free a game as possible. After a while a small trickle of people began to arrive, although no sign of any away fans. We soon discovered this was due to congestion on the M25 and as a result the referee decided to start the match ten minutes later. The game kicked off and for the first 15 minutes or so the play was fairly even. Graham Tydeman tried his luck from the edge of the box but saw his shot curl well wide of the post whilst St Francis went a little closer from further out, the ball going just over the bar. In the 19th minute, after City had moved the ball around nicely but to very little effect, Rangers went on the attack, forcing new Guildford keeper Danny Burnett to come out of the box and try to claim the ball. He just avoided handballing but in the process the ball was knocked beyond him. Luckily Dan’s defenders were covering and the ball was cleared. The home side then went on the attack, winning a corner which Jack Turner could only fire into the mitts of St Francis goalie, Simon Lehkyj. City maintained their momentum however, Anthony Bridgeman delivering a good cross into the box in the 23rd minute. A minute later Harrison Carnegie, outpacing his markers as he would do all game, flicked the ball over the advancing goalkeeper but missed the goal. For once however, Guildford did capitalise on their moral advantage and in the 25th minute, Harrison was released down the left wing by some good play from Anthony Bridgeman. Knight then overlapped to pick up the return pass on the byline, firing a slide rule pass across the face of goal and onto the boot of Gabriel Adesina who needed just the tiniest nudge to put the ball over the line. At last Guildford had scored their first goal of the season but any thoughts that the match would now be a walkover were swiftly dispelled as St Francis threw the proverbial kitchen sink at their opponents. Particularly impressive was their captain Chris Maynard whose vision in picking out his team mates was exceptional. Around the half hour mark, St Francis won two corners which were cleared before Rangers forged their best chance of the game so far. Again Maynard was at the heart of it as he tore down the left wing, received the ball and then sent in an inch perfect cross which curled past the defenders but was just too fast for the waiting forward. Back came the home side though, a freekick being won some 25 yards out but delivered a little too quick for Adesina. Rangers responded immediately, Maynard again causing problems down the left wing but City’s defenders stood resolute, clearing everything that came their way. In fact they were able to initiate a counter attack in the 41st minute, the ball being hoofed down the pitch with lightning quick Carnegie in hot pursuit. With no defenders back to cover, Lehkyj had to come out and head the ball clear but it fell immediately to Harrison who turned, beat his man and fired the ball home from 10 yards out. Carnegie had another chance moments later but fouled a player in the box. The whistle blew for halftime and for me it was time to track down the winner of the Golden Goal competition. In fact it turned out to be a guy called John, a member of the St Francis committee. I hope the cash was some consolation for his side’s exit from the FA Cup. Meanwhile Lofty, at his first game of the season, was providing his usual entertaining patter as he moaned about his latest doomed accumulator bet!! Oh yes and Matt H was using his lyrical abilities once again, this time to make light of St Francis’s David Dickenson-esque orange kit: “we are red, we are white, Rangers’ kit is very bright!” Not one of his best but I’m sure there will be more ‘gems’ as the season continues. The game re-started with St Francis making a double substitution in an attempt to get back into the game – the left and right backs being replaced, by attacking players Whetstone and Canon. Unfortunately for them it was City who notched once again in the 53rd minute and it was pure Route 1. A long ball was lumped up to Anthony Bridgeman on the left wing and he tore unopposed into the box – the keeper resolutely refusing to come off his line. Bridge, who had choked at a few moments in the previous two games when goal-scoring opportunities presented themselves, made no mistake this time, bravely beating the keeper at his near post. The match seemed to be well and truly won at this point, although as Tim B remarked, that would be the case for any other club but City!! There was still plenty of the match to go but Rangers were finally showing the strain. In the 66th minute, St Francis midfielder Phil Gault was extremely fortunate to stay on the pitch after cynically kicking Bridgeman in the stomach and then making some insulting comments. As it was he was shown a yellow card and then, as if spurred on, started to cause the home side problems, firing wide of goal in the 70th minute. The visitors were well and truly silenced however, when recent substitute Tony Arnold scored a blinder. City were on the attack in the 76th minute and the ball was cleared by the Rangers defenders only as far as Arnold, lurking some 20 yards out. Without missing a beat he fired the ball low and hard, straight back from where it had come, beating the keeper all ends up and into the bottom corner of the net. In the 83rd minute Harrison had a chance to increase the lead after another powerful run into the box, but his snapshot on the turn was gathered by the keeper. Even by Guildford standards the game appeared to be won at this point but there was a twist in the tale for anyone who thought City might keep a clean sheet. Rangers were unlucky not to score in the 87th minute when Callum Canon fired a shot from inside the area which lived up to his name – cannoning off the post before being cleared to safety. They got it right in stoppage time however – a mix up between Burnett and Penson as to who would claim the ball, allowing the villain from earlier, Phil Gault, to steal in and slot home from close range. Adesina was then booked for dissent and moments later fired over the bar after once again being put through on goal. GUILDFORD CITY: Danny Burnett; G. Tydeman; T. Chaplin (E. Defreitas, 77); T. Penson; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; J. Turner; B. Rayner (C. Knight, 55); G. Adesina; H. Carnegie; A. Bridgeman (T. Arnold, 74) Subs not used: P. Gough; K. Tracey; L. Hirrel; L. Bradnick Booked: G. Adesina St FRANCIS RANGERS: S. Lehkyj; R. Turpin (P. Whetstone, 46); M. Boutal (C. Canon, 46); E. Butler; B. Palmer; M. Carruthers; C. Cook (G. Pitcher, 71); P. Gault; J. Weston; R. Harris; C. Maynard Subs not used: M. Duke; M. Gainey; J. Baker Booked: P. Gault Referee: A. Farrelly Attendance: 65
Combined
Counties Premier League BADSHOT LEA 1 M. Griffiths, 57 GUILDFORD CITY 0 CITY were
extremely unlucky to lose this one after dominating play for significant periods and
creating some decent chances. As it was
Badshot Lea unjustly claimed all three points after nudging the ball over the line in a
goalmouth scramble, early in the second half. Guildford
will hope their terrible luck will change for the better against fellow strugglers
Colliers Wood on Saturday. This was a
nice and easy match for most people to get to – even for Matt who actually seemed to
have a shorter journey from Southampton than we did from Guildford. After sampling the excellent Farnborough FC
clubhouse and munching on a cheeseburger and chips, the Sweeney made their way into the
stands and started to generate some noise in the (for the CCL) enormous stadium. Badshot Lea
away was never going to be an simple game and for the first 10 minutes the hosts had the
better of the play as they moved the ball around smoothly on the excellent playing
surface. After wasting a corner in the 4th
minute, the home side registered their first attempt a minute later – the ball being
headed into the mitts of Burnett after a good cross.
In the 9th minute Burnett did extremely well to turn a powerful
shot round the post – the resulting corner being easily plucked to safety. Guildford responded and for the next 5 minutes
Carnegie gave the home side a torrid time, beating his marker again and again and firing
three dangerous crosses into the penalty area. The
ball was never cleared properly but Guildford just could not deliver the killer pass to
release one of the forwards and the period of pressure ended with Ben Rayner shooting wide
of the post. The home side
recovered and really should have scored in the 18th minute – the
impressive Darren Blake being put through but firing weakly across the goal. The two sides then traded blows with neither side
forging anything conclusive – a Guildford freekick delivered by Turner in the 20th
minute was headed on but then punched clear by the Badshot Lea custodian whilst at the
other end Burnett pulled off an impressive diving save but the flag was already up for
offside. It was the visitors who registered
the next good chance – Carnegie once again roaming down the right wing, winning a
throw-in and then, after receiving the ball, drawing a superb save after turning and
shooting from the edge of the box. Guildford were starting to build momentum with the defence looking
more and more solid thanks to some excellent work from Thoroughgood and Chaplin. Penson too was showing his commitment, although a
late timed tackle earned him a yellow card in the 33rd minute. On the wing Anthony Bridgeman was finally showing
what he could do and combined with Jack Turner and Harrison Carnegie’s work on the
right, City were starting to look reassuringly dangerous.
Unfortunately the visitors were forced to take ‘Bridge’ off shortly
before half time after he pulled up with a hamstring strain – Keno Tracey providing
an able replacement. The half ended with some
exciting attacking football – Guildford first winning a freekick on the edge of the
Badshot box but losing possession. A
counter-attack then ensued, Connor Hamilton shooting well wide of the mark. At the other end some great passing between King,
Adesina and Tracey resulted in a shot on goal which was spilled – the ball just being
cleared before Adesina could get to it. Peters
then rounded things off by pulling a shot wide. Half time was
spent quaffing beer in the excellent executive box which served as the Badshot Lea
committee rooms and desperately trying to think of some songs for the new players. As usual it was the Lennon and McCartney of the
football chant world, Matt Howell, who came up with: (to the Kings of Leon tune)
“Yeaaaaah! Dan Burnett’s on fire’; and “Defreitas – oooo-ay-oh,
Defreitas – oooo-ay-oh, he’s the King of Rock and Roll, he’s gonna score a
goal!’ As with the last time we were at
Cherrywood Road, it was extremely difficult to leave the bar but we all managed it with
the exception of Lofty who didn’t re-emerge for the whole of the 2nd
half!! The game
re-started and with it came Guildford’s most sustained period of pressure and
arguably their best chance of getting the all important first goal. In the 47th minute Adesina, received
the ball on the edge of the box and laid it off for Tracey whose shot was blocked before
Rayner once again shot wide. The home side
then couldn’t clear their lines as City probed away on the edge of the box. Time and again though, they found themselves
starved of space and with no-one to pass to. They
almost paid the price in the 50th minute after a counter-attack allowed Peters
another chance to score, his shot flying just over the bar, but again they roamed
up-field, Thoroughgood almost capitalising on a sliced clearance but heading wide. The period of
dominance ended however as Badshot Lea once again got back into the game and inevitably
they scored in the 57th minute. A
throw in level with the City penalty area was launched into the box, causing confusion and
a goalmouth scramble. Guildford just could
not clear the ball and Matt Griffiths eventually got enough on it to nudge it over the
line. Heads dropped and it was now all
Badshot Lea as they poured forward. Midfielder
Darren Blake started to cause particular problems as he tore down the right wing hitting
two shots which rebounded and then winning a freekick and a corner – all of which
City were able to keep out. It took until the
76th minute for Guildford to recover – a freekick being won near the
byline and whipped superbly into the box – yet again though Thoroughgood’s
header went wide. Slowly but surely the
balance of play tipped towards City again – Defreitas going on an incredible run from
his own half in the 80th minute and getting
to the edge of box before passing to Tracey whose cross was easily claimed by the keeper. Minutes later Carnegie forged two good chances,
twice turning and shooting in the box but seeing his shots held or fly over the bar. The minutes ticked down and Guildford threw
everything at their opponents – winning and wasting freekicks and crosses. The best chance came in the final minute of
stoppage time – Carnegie once again hitting a powerful shot but it was just blocked
and cleared before the whistle blew for full time. BADSHOT LEA:
M. Watson; D. Griffiths; P. Andrews; B. McCoy; M. Kleboe; C. Hamilton; D. Blake; R.
Westall (A. Prentice, 63); M. Peters (J. Hinchin, 79); M. Griffiths; B. Hill (J. Sowden,
87) Subs not used:
N. Sowden; D. Chislett; Booked: M.
Peters GUILDFORD
CITY: D. Burnett; T. Chaplin (L. Bradnick, 70); C. Knight; T. Penson; J. Thoroughgood; J.
King; J. Turner (E. Defreitas, 65); B. Rayner; G. Adesina; H. Carnegie; A. Bridgeman (K.
Tracey, 39) Subs not used:
L. Hirrel; P. Gough Booked: T.
Penson
Combined Counties Premier League GUILDFORD CITY 2 Adesina, 50, 67 COLLIERS WOOD UTD 1 Lang, 88 Guildford City got their first league points on the board in dominating fashion against a Colliers Woods United side who included ex-City midfielder Danny Elgar. They could and should have made this win more comfortable however with a series of missed chances in the second half which led to a nail-biting finish as Colliers Wood pulled one back with just 2 minutes to go. As I was at a wedding at the time, Matt H kindly provided the following report…. The first half was incredibly dull. In fact, in the duration of the 45 minutes I made just two notes: "City on top, can't score" and "Harrison finds space". There really was very little action of note, both teams more or less cancelling each other out. The home side were on top but couldn't find the final ball, and Colliers Wood had no attacking threat. The Guildford defence has been improving since day one, and Tony Chaplin and Elvis De Freitas were excelling in the full back positions. Guildford emerged a different side in the second half however, a trait we've noticed several times before under Kevin Rayner. Just five minutes into the second half, Gabriel Adesina stole the ball off the last defender who hesitated under pressure. The striker then advanced on the keeper, pulling him out of his goal before sliding the ball back across into the back of the net to make it 1-0 to City. Five minutes after that in the 55th minute, the ball teed up to Jamie King on the edge of the area who managed to chip the advancing goalkeeper. The ball looped in a prefect arc but glanced off the post and was cleared by the shell-shocked Colliers Wood defenders. City were attacking strongly, the pairing of Adesina and Carnegie always looking threatening. During this spell of pressure, Harrison Carnegie found himself in a tussle with the last defender and appeared to break free but the ball became tangled up in his feet and his one-on-one chance was lost. The second goal came in the 67th minute. A beautiful free kick from Jack Turner at just the right height and speed. Any number of City players could have made the finishing connection, but it was that man Adesina who headed back across goal, the ball evading the lunge of the keeper and settling in the far corner of the net. City took their foot off the pedal and Colliers Wood began to get back into the match. A free kick on the very edge of the area was pulled wide of the goal. Almost immediately however, Harrison Carnegie broke away, outstripping his marker with his pace. As the ball rolled towards the keeper, Harrison managed to get a touch to take it round him but he couldn't control it in time to hit the back of the net. The consolation goal for Colliers Wood came after some panicked City defending that resulted in a ball ricocheting into the path of Steve Lang who finished coolly past Anthony Hall (the Guildford keeper having had very little to do all afternoon!). The visitors applied some late pressure, but Guildford fought to the end to get their first three points of the season. GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; E Defreitas (T. Arnold, 73); T. Chaplin; G. Tydeman; J. Thoroughgood; J. King (L. Hirrel, 81); J. Turner (P. Gough, 78); B. Rayner; G. Adesina; H. Carnegie; C. Knight Subs not used: K. Tracey; L. Bradnick COLLIERS WOOD UTD: C. Nelson; R. Smithmiller; D. Hughes; T. Costello; J. Harrison (R. Faulkner, 52); P. Bogle; S. Lang; R. Hughes (D. Atsu, 69); L. Bynan; A. Fisk (S. Mead, 78); D. Elgar Subs not used: None Booked: R. Smithmiller, 66 Referee: Chukwuma Uju Attendance: 35
FA Cup
sponsored by E.ON Preliminary Round GUILDFORD CITY
3 Bridgeman 8, 51; King, 26 RAMSGATE
1 Quinn, 84 GUILDFORD City
progressed to the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in style with this convincing win
over Ryman League Division One outfit, Ramsgate. Dismissed
as easy opponents before the match, Guildford proved too strong for the visitors as again
and again they got behind Ramsgate’s defenders.
The excellent Anthony Bridgeman made it 1-0 within 10 minutes and Jamie King
extended the lead half way through the first half, smashing home a rebound after a
training ground freekick. Any worries that
Ramsgate would come out all guns blazing in the second half were quickly dispelled when
Bridgeman fired a spectacular third goal soon after the re-start. City then weathered some last minute pressure as
the Rams snatched a consolation goal late on. The City
committee were anticipating another busy day and so it proved – 110 people coming
through the gates in all. The Ramsgate fans
by and large were a good natured lot and they certainly enjoyed drinking our beer and
watching Sky Sports news!! A few of the older
supporters were reminiscing about previous meetings with Guildford City in the Southern
League and they were mostly sympathetic about our lack of a ground to call our own. Anyway before we knew it, the players were on the
pitch and ready for kick off. We had all
anticipated a tough game and the very real possibility that City, having struggled against
some of the CCL sides already this season, would succumb 3 or 4 nil. Yet from the very start this never seemed like a
possibility. Within minutes of the start
Harrison Carnegie had shredded his marker down the right wing, got to the byline and fired
a curling cross, just missing two out-stretched City heads.
Ramsgate responded but Anthony Hall was alive to a counter-attack in the 7th
minute which caught out the Guildford defenders and he swiftly headed the ball to safety. A minute later City were ahead – Carnegie
once again firing in an excellent cross which Anthony Bridgeman headed home. “Oh dear”, I remarked to Matt H,
“now we do have something to lose!” The visitors
did not step up their game noticeably though – a freekick in the 10th
minute being well cleared by the home side – and pretty soon they were forced to
defend again, first Bridgeman and then Carnegie trying their luck from the edge of the
box. It was another lightning quick run from
Bridgeman which led to the second goal. The
City winger was brought down near the edge of the penalty area and Harrison, instead of
lofting the ball into the mixer or trying his luck, fired a daisy-cutter to the far post,
catching out the Rams’ defence. The
keeper belatedly tried to smother the ball but it bounced free allowing Jamie King to fire
home from close range. The visitors were
clearly rocked by this second setback and they promptly carried out a double substitution. For a short
while this gave the visitors some initiative and the Rams started to create more chances. On the half hour mark, Ben Rayner had to be fully
alert to head a dangerous cross into touch. The
resulting corner caused pandemonium in the City area as Hall punched the ball into the air
only to see a Ramsgate player impressively (and accurately) bicycle-kick the ball back. Luckily a defender instinctively headed the ball
off the line and before any more danger could be posed, Guildford had won a freekick. The Rams’ chance to get back into the game
had passed and the match fizzled out a little for the final 15 minutes – the only
highlights being an impressive punched clearance from Hall and an injury to Bridgeman,
although the Guildford player was back on the pitch within a few minutes. None of us
were getting the champagne out quite yet, as the whistle blew for halftime. All of us predicted a fightback from the Rams and
some nailbiting in the second half. Much time
was spent trying to sort out the many chores and deal with some troublesome youngsters. “Tell my kids to get OFF the running
track!” ordered an exhausted Ramsgate mum, “they won’t listen to me”. Matt Brown dutifully went to remonstrate with the
little tykes and after some gentle persuasion (ie your team will be kicked out of the
competition if you don’t go back to the stand) they duly complied. Elsewhere we were dealing with an unprecedented
demand for badges from a big group of ground-hoppers who also stayed in the clubhouse and
drank our beer so no complaints from us!! The nerves
were jangling as the whistle blew for the second half – 2-0 being a notoriously easy
lead to lose. And although we would not have
minded a trip to Ramsgate on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday , a trip to Bookham with a place
in the next round seemed much more enticing. Ramsgate
did indeed have the first of the chances, winning a freekick which they pumped into the
City penalty area. As so often in this match
though, they didn’t use their height advantage and the ball was cleared. Gabriel Adesina then made two good runs but could
not notch an effort on goal. With the game
appearing to peter out into stalemate, however, Anthony Bridgeman then produced a moment
of magic. Running down the right wing and
with nothing on, he checked inside and fired an unstoppable drive from at least 25 yards
out, into the top corner of the net. No
keeper could have saved a shot like that and suddenly City could look at closing the match
out with real confidence. The next
twenty minutes or so belonged to the visitors as, awake from their lethargy, they realised
a lot of goals needed to be scored to avoid an ignominious dumping out of the FA Cup. Yet their composure in front of goal was woeful to
say the least. On the hour mark one of the
Ramsgate forwards ran on to a through ball and looked certain to test Hall, his shot
however went well wide. Ten minutes later
came another good spell of pressure for the Rams, however yet again their shooting boots
were not on and the ball was blazed over. Midfielder
Liam Quinn went a little closer in the 71st minute, however, his shot curling
just wide of the mark. At last City came back
into the game, winning a freekick in a dangerous position in the 77th minute,
but the ball whistled past the far post. The match was
going nowhere and tempers were beginning to fray : City players started to pick up yellow
cards for stupid offences and the Ramsgate midfielder Gary Lockyer got sent off in the 77th
minute for what looked like a terrible (and pointless) challenge on Jamie Thoroughgood. The Rams dug in however and finally got their goal
– Anthony Hall miscalculating and missing a corner, allowing Quinn an easy finish at
the far post. The home side still had a two
goal cushion but we started to get a little nervous as Ramsgate threw everything at
Guildford. Luckily the defence stood firm and
an attempted lob and a powerful freekick did not trouble Hall. At the other end Adesina really should have scored
in the final minute but with only the keeper to beat, he panicked and his shot went well
wide. So
Guildford’s FA Cup challenge marches improbably on.
Next up is another home tie on 12 September, this time against East Preston –
lets hope City can match this performance. GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; G. Tydeman (T. Arnold,
57); T. Chaplin; T. Penson; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; A. Bridgeman (Sean Rivers, 61); B.
Rayner (L. Hirrel, 81); G. Adesina; H. Carnegie; C. Knight Subs not used: J. Turner; P. Gough; L. Bradnick;
D. Burnett Booked: A Hall; T Penson; J. King; B. Rayner; T.
Arnold; L. Hirrel RAMSGATE: S. Mott; A. Hadden; D. Powell (O.
Gray, 28); J. Dolby (T. Tsangarides, 28); W. Graham; B. Laslett; L. Quinn; W. Schulz; G.
Mickleborough; J. Gregory; R. Lawson (G. Lockyer, 55) Subs not used: C. Winnett; B. Brown; B. Mills;
S. Pettit Booked: J. Dolby; T. Tsangarides Sent off: G. Lockyer Referee:
L. Forrester Attendance: 110
Combined
Counties Premier League BOOKHAM
0 GUILDFORD CITY
2 Carnegie, 54; Rayner, 86 THIS was a
pretty ordinary match played on a rock hard pitch in the stifling heat of a Bank Holiday
weekend. Yet City showed great character to
emerge with all the points, despite missing some key players and clearly still recovering
from the exertions of Saturday. After an
uneventful first half which was shaded by the visitors, City pulled ahead early in the
second period – Harrison Carnegie converting from the spot after being held in the
box. Ben Rayner then sealed the victory after
a period of concerted pressure from the home side. As might be
expected there was very much an ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ about this
game, with only a small number of City supporters able or willing (in the case of Lofty!)
to take the trip to Dorking. Those who came
enjoyed bright sunshine and a pint in Meadowbank’s spacious bar – that is except
for Chris’s nipper, who declined my offer of a pint!!
Meanwhile we were a little worried to hear neither Anthony Hall, Graham
Tydeman nor Tom Penson had been able to make the game due to injury or work commitments
– luckily there were some able replacements among City’s squad and Kevin was
reasonably confident. The first half
was very much a tale of wasted chances. The
first decent opportunity fell to the visitors in the 15th minute – a City
freekick being partially cleared to Carnegie whose shot was deflected onto the post and
behind for a corner, which Bookham handled comfortably.
Minutes later, after Guildford had soaked up an attack, Harrison turned
provider, his cross just missing the run of Cory Knight.
The Guildford forward was in action again in the 22nd minute,
beating his marker and running into the box but firing into the side netting. A City corner and a good chance for Adesina
followed as the visitors started to dominate possession.
The home side
at last started to come into the game on the half hour mark – Michael Fowler trying
his luck with a volley from the edge of the box, which was well wide. Guildford responded – Harrison slicing a shot
well wide and Jack Turner delivering a good cross to the far post but missing the head of
Bridgeman. The half however ended with two
good chances for Bookham. First the
impressive Martin Smith finally found some space and advanced into the Guildford penalty
area, shaking off his marker but shooting weakly at Burnett. Then in the 44th minute James Piercy
delivered a peach of a curling cross from the right wing which seemed lazer guided onto
the foot of at least one of the incoming Bookham players.
Burnett saw the danger though and brilliantly blocked a shot at the far post
to keep the scores level at half time. The break was
a chance to sample some cake courtesy of the Bookham committee and to try to repatriate a
bright pink towel I had found in the Spectrum changing rooms. The odds were that no Guildford player would admit
ownership and I had to wait until the final whistle before the true owner (culprit?) was
revealed as Tony Chaplin! I had to inform the
disappointed City defender that it was not washed but it was dry and mould free!! Bookham
started the second half on a more positive note and Julian van Gelder made an early
statement of intent, firing wide of the near post in the 53rd minute after some
good approach work. This followed an amusing
incident in which Harrison feigned outrage at a foul given against him. “You know you pushed him in the back
Harrison… and so would I” yelled out the ever vocal Moaning Tone! Guildford responded to the pressure and a minute
later Harrison once again was tearing into the box. With
the keeper advancing to get the ball it seemed 50/50 as to who would get there first,
however defender Russell Hartt tried to improve the odds a little more by holding Harrison
by his shirt. The ref was in no doubt,
instantly blowing his whistle and pointing to the spot.
Hartt was undoubtedly the last defender but somehow got away with a yellow
card. Carnegie stepped up and fired low into
the left hand corner, Warren Aburn diving the wrong way and Guildford at last had the
lead. City now
needed to make the most of their moral advantage and a minute after the goal, Gabriel
Adesina broke through and tried to lob the advancing keeper, his shot drifting well wide. Yet the balance of play now tilted towards the
home side as they desperately tried to equalise. It
should have arrived in the 59th minute – a freekick from near the byline
being heading over the bar when Burnett failed to claim the ball. They had another chance in the 68th
minute – Burnett advancing out of his box but sloppily passing to a Bookham player. Luckily the attempted lob was headed clear by
Rayner. Two minutes later the City keeper
redeemed himself by blocking a shot at the near post after all the visitors had waited for
an offside flag which never came. The home side
continued to turn the screw, shooting into the side netting in the 80th minute
after a swift counter-attacking move. They
saved their best till last however, a forward finally flat-footing the Guildford defence
and advancing on the helpless Burnett. A goal
seemed a certainty but somehow the keeper dived and blocked the ball at point blank range
– the follow up sailing high over the bar. City
finally had some breathing space now and new signing Sean Rivers tried his luck from the
edge of the area, the shot just missing the target. The
nerves were well and truly settled in the 86th minute however when Keno Tracey
beat his man, ran down the right wing and dragged a pass back to the edge of the box and
the waiting Ben Rayner who finished with aplomb. Bookham
once again turned up the heat, courtesy of a few dubious freekicks but it was too little
too late and the exhausted Guildford players held on to take the three points. GUILDFORD CITY: D. Burnett; T. Arnold; C.
Knight; T. Chaplin (L. Hirrel, 84); J. Thoroughgood; J. King; J. Turner (S. Rivers, 60);
B. Rayner; G. Adesina (K. Tracey, 73); H. Carnegie; A. Bridgeman Subs not used: A. Hall; L. Bradnick Booked: None BOOKHAM: W. Aburn; S. Currie; J. Van Gelder; S.
Padgett; R. Hartt; D. Carnota (S. Broslin, 63); J. Piercy (D. McCann, 63); M. Fowler; M.
Smith; C. Woodward; B. Loney Subs not used: G. Mandeville; B. Ramsay Booked: R. Hartt Referee: A. Connor
|
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CITY began the new CCL Premier League season with a defeat but there
were plenty of positives to suggest that they should not struggle this season.
Indeed, but for better finishing and a bit more belief from some of the players, Guildford
could have made their hosts’ lives a lot more difficult. The first 20 minutes
arguably belonged to the visitors as they startled Epsom and Ewell with the fluency of
their passing and made some half chances. Unfortunately the Es made the most of a
counter-attack half way through the first half to punish City’s adventurous play,
adding to their lead in the second half. Guildford were less fluent in the final 45
minutes but could and should have notched a goal. 