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FA Carlsberg Vase 1st Round, Qualifying GUILDFORD CITY 3 Carnegie, 28; Rivers, 67, 76 WESTFIELD 0 CITY made hard work of this win, indeed at points in the first half it looked as if Westfield were on course to cause an upset. Only a fortunate refereeing decision prevented the home side conceding in the first ten minutes as the visitors worked hard all over the pitch to ensure Guildford could not get into their rhythm. Even going 1-0 up did not improve matters and it took a deadly double from new striker Sean Rivers to settle the tie (and the supporters nerves!) In comparison with the game the previous Saturday this was a far more sedate affair as Westfield brought down only a handful of supporters and we were not having to run around like blue-arsed flies. A few last minute issues were quickly resolved and before we knew it the referee had blown his whistle to start the game. To say that City were lacklustre in the first half would be an understatement. From the start Westfield set out their stall to try to stifle Guildford’s passing game and cut out the service to their forwards and initially their game plan worked well. The visitors had the better of the possession early on, winning a freekick within the first five minutes which they were unable to capitalise on. Against the run of play City managed to forge the first chance of the game however, Jamie King flicking the ball just wide of the post with the back of his head from a freekick in the 9th minute. The visitors responded and had every right to be aggrieved five minutes later after a perfectly good goal was disallowed for offside. The linesman thought the ball had come off a Westfield player rather than (as was actually the case) a City player prior to the lurking forward slotting home. Guildford did little to capitalise on their let off in the next five minutes as passes went astray and the visitors continued to cause problems. Slowly but surely Guildford started to find their feet – Harrison finally got some space and tried a through-ball to Adesina which did not quite come off, in the 19th minute whilst Ben Rayner drove a shot just wide of the post a few minutes later. Westfield headed wide and tried their luck from long range but you sensed that the home side had finally remembered how to play football. The confirmation came in the 28th minute – Harrison Carnegie firing into the top corner from inside the area after the visitors had failed to clear their lines. Five minutes later, as Westfield, out of necessity, started leaving more gaps at the back, Sean Rivers was released down the middle but his shot was skewed horribly wide when it seemed easier to score. The visitors were not throwing in the towel however and two excellent passes down their right wing nearly allowed Ross Murray to go through on goal. Their best chance came in the 42nd minute after a freekick was conceded near the City byline. The ball was curled expertly across the face of goal but amazingly there was no outstretched boot to turn the shot home. Moments later former City man Lee Allum headed over from yet another freekick, however the scoreline remained 1-0 at the break. Despite the small attendance, there were a large number of ground-hoppers at the Spectrum. First a programme collector who decided to buy 15 of the programmes that had been gathering dust on top of a cupboard for years – no-one ever wants to do that! Then there was a guy who had come all the way from Gloucestershire to watch City because his wife was singing at a venue nearby. Most amusingly of all their was a long haired Nantwich fan who started taking the mickey out of Jenny as soon as he found out she was a fellow Cheshire-ite, from a supposedly ‘posh’ area!! The Sweeney spent a lot of the game trying to prefect their chants – especially ‘Adesina’ to the tune of the Motown classic ‘Have you seen her’ – none other than the manager’s idea that one. The referee blew to restart the game and we were all praying we would be offered better fare than we had witnessed in the first half. Initially at least this was not the case and Westfield picked up where they left off in the first half, stifling City at every turn. Sean Rivers did well to win a corner in the 53rd minute but predictably the ball was well cleared from the danger area. Three minutes later the visitors were celebrating yet another goal that wasn’t, although this time the ref got the decision right – a City defender was fouled prior to the ball being put into the back of the net. Neither of the two sides were able to forge any decent chances for the next ten minutes or so – a Rivers shot drifted well wide at one end whilst at the other a Westfield freekick was eventually cleared – before Elvis was fouled during a promising move. “Mr Cheaty!” yelled Jenny, although you sensed she may have used slightly stronger language had not the latest addition to the Pegman clan been within earshot. The second goal finally came in the 67th minute. City won a corner and Sean Rivers did his target man thing, rising unmarked to head past Sion Gallent, whose fingertips could not quite keep the ball out. The visitors could have put themselves back into contention a minute later – a forward being released but firing behind from an extreme angle when he had just Anthony Hall to beat. Bridgeman then went on a rampaging run, tore into the box but similarly put his shot wide. Westfield were throwing more players into the attack at this point and finally the decisive blow was landed in the 76th minute – Sean Rivers beating the offside trap and firing into the top corner from inside the area. The floodgates now appeared to creak open and City started making a lot more chances – Harrison chipping the ball just over the bar after an intelligent pass by new man Tommy Carter and substitute Liam Hirrel wasting several freekicks in dangerous areas. No more goals were forthcoming however and the tie ended 3-0. GUILDFORD CITY: A Hall; E. Defreitas; C. Knight; T. Penson; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; A. Bridgeman; B. Rayner (L. Hirrel, 75); S. Rivers (T. Carter, 77); H. Carnegie; G. Adesina (L. Banton-Brown, 71) Subs not used: J. Turner; D. Burnett Booked: None WESTFIELD: S. Gallent; D. Sales; O. Dixon; B. Bartlett; D. Shutt; D. Thompson (A. Harding); M. Robson (G. Pummell); L. Allum; R. Murray (L. Cachia); L. Beale; D. Hartlebury Subs not used: S. Collier Booked: D. Shutt Referee: S. Davidson Attendance: 40
FA Cup sponsored by
E.ON 1st Qualifying Round GUILDFORD CITY
4 Rayner, 32; Adesina, 52; King, 55;
Banton-Brown, 63 EAST PRESTON
4 OG, 57; Darwin, 70; Saunders, 86; Reilly,
90+2 CITY unforgivably
allowed this tie to slip from their grasp, in a pulsating 8 goal thriller. Having led their Sussex League opponents 4-1 with
just 27 minutes remaining, the Surrey side conceded three times to force a replay at East
Preston and the very real possibility of being eliminated from the FA Cup. It all started so well with City bossing the
majority of the play and earning themselves a 1-0 lead courtesy of a Ben Rayner header. Gabriel Adesina and Jamie King extended the lead
after the break before the visitors pulled one back.
Lance Banton-Brown’s 63rd minute goal appeared to kill the
tie off but Darwin, Saunders and Reilly had other ideas, their goals earning the Sussex
side a replay. No-one was
predicting this would be an easy match – East Preston already had two scalps from
higher leagues in the form of Camberley and Gosport and we were expecting quite a scrap. A decent number of visiting fans made it down,
although one of them had a rude welcome from one of the Spectrum wasps, getting stung on
the arm. Some of the Sweeney were there too,
Lofty, Tom and new member Katy coming down to be later joined by Sir Lagerlot and his
brother Colin. We tried to keep the cheering
going but by the end of this game all we wanted to do was kick the nearest cat!! City started well
and within the first ten minutes had forged a good chance, heading over the bar after an
excellent cross to the far post. East Preston
gradually found their rhythm however and set out their stall to catch Guildford on the
counter-attack, courtesy particularly of their hard working number 9, Terry Dodd. Both Adesina and Bridgeman made good runs into
space but were quickly stifled by East Preston’s organised defence. The visitors’ first opportunity came from a
freekick in the 22nd minute which was pumped into the box but claimed
confidently by Anthony Hall. City responded
and Bridgeman made two good chances a few minutes later, first unleashing a cross from the
byline which Sean Rivers could only head into the mitts of the East Preston goalie and
then running into the box and winning a corner which was cleared. Back came East
Preston though and won a freekick on the edge of the City area which was driven into the
wall, before Guildford won a freekick for a foul on Thoroughgood. The frenetic pace continued – Graham Tydeman
charging down a cross on the hour mark and appearing to be through on goal but having a
foul awarded against him for handball – a fact the City fullback vehemently denied. All was forgotten a few moments later though as
the ball rolled back to the East Preston keeper with Ben Rayner in hot pursuit. The keeper could have claimed it but the defender
panicked and sliced the ball high into the air. Rayner
out-jumped the keeper to head the ball and the still-spinning ball took a wicked turn off
the pitch (much like a Shane Warne leg break) and nestled in the back of the net. Predictably there
was no sign of despair from East Preston and in the 35th minute the ever lively
Dodds beat the offside trap, charged into the box but dragged his shot wide of the mark. Bridgeman responded with another lightning run
down the wing, winning a corner which was well dealt with by East Preston. The final minutes of the half saw the home side
soaking up some pressure – a throw-in level with the 6 yard box causing pandemonium
in Guildford’s area before Hall finally managed to gather a cross, whilst Dodds
nearly latched onto a neat through-ball which would have put him one-on-one with the City
keeper. We were taking
nothing for granted at halftime – especially given East Preston’s finish to the
half and took solace in some beer and the wisdom of Lofty.
This being Katy’s first experience of the inimitable City man, I was
keen that she wasn’t scared off from attending future games, to his credit though
James was on (reasonably) good behaviour!! This
despite the air horn which he insisted on blowing at every opportunity – something
which particularly offended Jenny who was trying to lull the baby Pegman (not Chris, an
actual baby) to sleep! The entire second
half was simply action packed, with the first fifteen minutes undoubtedly belonging to
City. Lance Banton-Brown, who had been
brought on at halftime for the injured Rivers had a chance in the first couple of minutes
– a good cross being delivered which he couldn’t stretch his leg far enough to
turn in. The visitors won a freekick which
was easily cleared before Guildford made it 2-0. The
impressive Adesina, who had given East Preston a torrid time received the ball in the box
with his back to goal; with a deft move, which shook off his marker, he turned and fired
home clinically to give City some breathing space. Just
three minutes later it was 3-0 – a corner from the home side being punched clear by
the goalie but only as far as Jamie King who headed the ball first time over the head of
the keeper and into the net. The visitors
responded immediately and reduced the deficit just two minutes later, Hall spilling a shot
and the ball being fired home off a despairing City defender who could only kick the ball
over the line. Could this be the
start of a comeback? It appeared not as Guildford once again flew at their opponents,
going close with a freekick and Adesina having a shot cleared off the line. In the 63rd minute Lance finally got
the goal which seemed to bury East Preston. Receiving
the ball on the left wing, he beat his man, wrong-footed the keeper and had a shot blocked
before finishing on the second attempt. We
didn’t care how it had got there, this appeared to be the clincher. Kevin Rayner obviously thought so too, as he took
off City’s most potent striker and brought on midfielder Tommy Carter to try to
stifle the visitors. Yet EP’s desire to
get back into the game was indomitable and five minutes later, after the Guildford defence
had been caught napping, the Sussex side reduced the arrears: Chris Darwin driving the
ball home after it broke loose in the box. East
Preston could have scored again in the 72nd minute – Antony Hall blocking
a shot impressively and giving away a corner which was cleared, much to the relief of
City’s defenders, although his back chat to the referee earned him a booking a minute
later. In typical
Guildford style, the home side continued to pour players forward however and Lance
Banton-Brown had more than one chance to put the game beyond the visitors. On three occasions he was released down the right
wing and tore into the box unmarked, only to try to cross when a shot seemed (to us) the
better option. On the third occasion, the
ball was punted back up the pitch, being claimed eventually by Cory Knight in the City
area. What followed next was a matter of
dispute. A lurking EP forward tried to claim
the ball and it went from Cory’s foot into the arms of Hall. Whether Knight had passed back or the ball had
rebounded was difficult to see but the referee blew his whistle and awarded a freekick
just feet from the goalmouth. The initial
shot was cleared for a corner, much to our relief, but the resulting cross fell to Ian
Saunders on the edge of the box who lashed the ball into the bottom corner. Complaints that a player had been blocking
Hall’s view were brushed aside and from being 4-1 up, Guildford’s hold on the
game was looking extremely tenuous. By now no-one
believed City could hold on and perhaps the Guildford players thought it too. Carnegie had a chance to bury the game in the 88th
minute but he could only muster a weak shot to the keeper.
All too soon the ball was back up at the City end and before we knew it,
East Preston had a freekick in a dangerous position near the 18 yard box. The ball was pumped in and ricocheted to super-sub
Neil Reilly who finished easily from close range. The
final chance of the match went the way of City but, predictably, Harrison’s freekick
failed to trouble the keeper. Let’s hope
we can put this right on Tuesday. GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; G.
Tydeman; C. Knight; T. Penson; J.Thoroughgood; J. King; A. Bridgeman (E. Defreitas, 75);
B. Rayner; S. Rivers (L. Banton-Brown, 46); H. Carnegie; G. Adesina (T. Carter, 65) Subs not used: J. Turner; T.
Arnold; L. Hirrel; D. Burnett Booked: A. Bridgeman; G.
Tydeman; A. Hall; T. Penson EAST PRESTON: M. Rason; N.
Dacosta; A. Nicholson; A. Holman (N. Reilly, 46); M. Windsor; I. Saunders; T. Paine (J.
Huet, 46); D. Campbell; T. Dodd; K. Budge (J. Meeney, 75); C. Darwin Subs not used: K. Clayton; P.
Williamson Referee: M. Taylor Attendance: 73
FA Cup sponsored by
E.ON 1st Qualifying Round Replay EAST PRESTON
2 Dodd, 20; Windsor, 90+5 GUILDFORD CITY
2 Adesina, 72; Banton-Brown, 82 After
extra time. East Preston win 4-3 on penalties
Given the
difficulties in getting to this game, there was an impressively large number of Guildford
fans present. Indeed Lofty had taken full
advantage and booked a room at a local B&B (over a pub naturally). I took the train from Victoria while the rest of
the City contingent drove. East Preston
itself, on the admittedly small period of time I spent there, could be described as
‘sleepy’ but there was a warm welcome waiting for me from the EP committee when
I reached Lashmar Road and a burger which was very much appreciated. Kevin was already there, bringing an impressively
large squad. Encouragingly we also saw Tommy
Tydeman on the bench and Bridgeman and Rivers starting – both had had to come off
during the previous match. City made a
battling start, pushing up the pitch and playing a terrifyingly high back four which led
to more than one heart-in-mouth moment. Still,
we could see from the off that Kevin wanted to wrap this tie up and the first chance
quickly came – Jamie King winning a freekick and Sean Rivers firing over the bar. Two minutes later EP had the first of many chances
– a pass rebounding into the path of Terry Dodd and Tom Penson having to slide in to
make an outstanding last ditch tackle. City
responded and the ever lively Anthony Bridgeman finally got some space down the right wing
and got into the box, however his weak pass was easily claimed by the keeper. The visitors’ pressure continued but EP were
nearly gifted a goal in the 14th minute – a City defender allowing his man
to cross from the byline and the ball being flicked on off the back of an EP head. Hall steamed in to claim the ball but he spilled
it and only another desperate clearance prevented a goal.
Guildford skipper Jamie Thoroughgood then went close from a Ben Rayner
freekick but just missed the ball at the far post. It was the home
side who landed the first blow, however, taking the lead for the first time in the tie. Easily EP’s most dangerous player over the
two games – Terry Dodd – was allowed space from a throw-in near the edge of the
box and he turned cleverly, rode a challenge and fired into the right hand side of the
net, flat-footing Anthony Hall who did not even move.
The psychological boost this gave EP was plain to see and four minutes later
the home side could have been 2-0 up – Asa Nicholson getting up from a crunching
challenge and firing just wide of the far post. Guildford
recovered and dominated the next ten minutes of play as EP sat on their lead. On 28 minutes Anthony Bridgeman brilliantly
controlled a powerful through-ball, taking it beyond his marker in the process. The pace-ace tore into the box and pulled the
trigger but instead of the net bulging we saw the ball fly wide of the far post. A minute later came another excellent chance
– City winning a freekick and a superb delivery finding Ben Rayner who rose unmarked
but headed wide. Back came the home
side and they had several very good chances to extend their lead. First sloppy defending allowed EP to cross to
Dale Campbell in the box who shot over with only Hall to beat and then Dodd once again
proved too hot to handle, bombing down City’s left wing but firing wide. Kevin Budge then curled a shot wide with Hall
beaten all ends up. City for their part had a
few snapshots courtesy of Sean Rivers but were struggling to handle EP’s direct play. A good chance came ten minutes from the break
however – Adesina tearing into the box and firing low and hard – Kason doing
well to turn the shot behind for a corner. Bridgeman
then did excellently to flick a low delivery towards goal at the near post but again the
EP custodian was equal to the task. Another
chance arrived in the 40th minute - Rivers intercepted a careless pass from
Budge and should have scored – his shot going wide.
Asa Nicholson responded for the home side, firing off target before Tony
Chaplin drove just wide of the mark from a corner after Kason had failed to claim the
ball. There was a mix of
despondent and positive voices as we trooped into the committee rooms for tea and
biscuits. City had certainly forged some good
chances but they had not taken them. Meanwhile
the home side could have easily been 2 or 3 nil up. Some
lighter relief had a least been provided by Lofty and his wretched air horn!! The EP skipper Ian Saunders earned some
appreciative cheers early in the half when Lofty let rip just before he fired a freekick
into touch – “that was your fault” he yelled jovially to Lofty! The second half
began in robust fashion, Graham Tydeman mistiming a challenge and being yellow carded. Terry Dodd for his part was earning the derision
of the City fans for a number of off the ball incidents but to their frustration Taylor
did not reciprocate. Finally, however, City
were starting to look the stronger side and six minutes in, Carnegie tried his luck from
long range after running off a Sean Rivers header – his effort going agonisingly
wide. Two minutes later he went even closer,
rounding the keeper and shooting at goal, however Matt Windsor was able to clear off the
line. The visitors proceeded to forge a
number of half chances, finding space but the EP defence always winning out. Dodd then earned a yellow card in the 68th
minute for not giving the ball for a freekick before EP midfielder Tom Paine saw a good
long range effort sail just wide in the 71st minute. Moments later, however, Guildford were back on
level terms. A freekick was
flicked on to Gabriel Adesina in the box who controlled with his chest and turned to fire
home – in much the same vein as his goal on Saturday.
If Guildford thought the tide was turning however, they were very much
mistaken and only a supreme display of goalkeeping prevented them from once more going
behind two minutes later. Kevin Budge ran
onto a long ball and half volleyed from close range only for Hall to block his shot
brilliantly and then somehow get back on his feet and stop the rebound. City did start to look more dangerous after this,
despite Tony Chaplin earning a yellow for a late challenge, and finally got their noses in
front in bizarre fashion in the 82nd minute.
A long back pass was played to Kason, with new substitute Lance in hot
pursuit. The EP keeper’s clearance on
the right hand side of the box hit Banton-Brown’s back and then flew into the net to
give the visitors a 2-1 lead with 8 minutes of normal time remaining. Not surprisingly there was jubilation on the
sidelines and unfortunately another yellow card, as a substitute ran onto the pitch to
celebrate. Surely Guildford
could hold on and close this tie out? It was
looking more and more possible as the minutes ticked into injury time and City were able
to stifle their opponents. But how many extra
minutes would be played? Kevin must have
thought his substitution of Chaplin for Knight in the 93rd minute would be one
of the last actions of the game but he reckoned without the irrepressible EP. I suppose we all half expected a last minute twist
as the clock entered its 95th minute ands the home side won a corner. I turned my back in grim expectation as the
delivery went in and I am reliably informed it was Matt Windsor who rose (unforgivably)
unmarked to head the ball home and send the match into injury time. Both sides were
clearly exhausted but City looked the more dangerous for most of the next half hour –
Harrison Carnegie looking particularly dangerous down the wings but not quite able to pick
out a City head. The second half was more
lively with Graham Tydeman driving a powerful shot wide in the 110th minute and
a minute later Banton-Brown forged City’s best chance, firing towards the top corner
but the keeper just pushing it clear. There
was time for EP to create an excellent chance two minutes from time – Jay Huet
running onto a through ball but scuffing his shot just wide – before the whistle
blew. So inevitably it
went to spot kicks. “They’re rather
good at these apparently” remarked Tony ominously as City lined up to the take the
first one. Tom Penson made a good start
though, firing powerfully down the middle to make it 1-0.
Neil Reilly then put his shot to the keeper’s right, Hall getting a
hand to the ball but failing to keep it out. 1-1. Graham Tydeman’s penalty was well saved to
the keeper’s right before Chris Darwin made it 2-1 with an almost identical kick. Jamie King was next and initially saw his penalty
saved before referee Maurice Taylor asked for it to be retaken – the keeper
apparently being well off his line. King made
no mistake this time, shooting into the bottom corner to make it 2-2. EP skipper Ian Saunders then scored in style,
bending a screamer into the top corner before Tommy Tydeman fired his kick down the
middle. 3-3.
Antony Hall was unlucky with Dale Campbell’s shot, if he had moved just
an inch or so to the right he might have saved it. As
it was though, it was up to Harrison Carnegie to keep City in contention. Unfortunately EP keeper Kason dived well to save
the City striker’s shot and EP won the shoot-out and the tie to understandable
jubilation. Guildford were left to rue their
missed chances – particularly the 4-1 debacle at the weekend – and start on
their long and miserable journey home. EAST PRESTON: M. Kason, N. Da
Costa, A. Nicholson, N. Reilly, M. Windsor, I. Saunders, T. Paine (J. Huet, 82), D.
Campbell, T. Dodd, K. Budge (J. Meeney, 85),C. Darwin. Subs not used: A. Holman, L. Da
Costa, P. Williamson GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; G.
Tydeman; T. Chaplin (Knight, 90+3); T. Penson; J.Thoroughgood; J. King; A. Bridgeman (T.
Tydeman, 64); B. Rayner; S. Rivers (L. Banton-Brown, 64); H. Carnegie; G. Adesina Subs not used: T. Carter; T.
Arnold; L. Hirrel; L. Bradnick Referee: M. Taylor Attendance: 104
FA Carlsberg Vase 2nd
Round, Qualifying GUILDFORD CITY
1 Rivers, 90, pen MOLE VALLEY SCR
2 J. Holden, 12, 71 CITY bowed out of
their second cup competition in a week with this lacklustre display against high flying
Mole Valley SCR of CCL Division 1. Understandably
still exhausted from the FA Cup replay on Tuesday, Guildford allowed their opponents to
dictate the play and they quickly went a goal down courtesy of some lax defending and Jay
Holden’s out-stretched boot. Tommy
Tydeman, the player fast becoming known as the “Cooler King” then made matters
worse by getting stupidly sent off for hitting out at another player. The second period saw some improvement but 10 man
Guildford could not prevent their opponents notching another – J. Holden again
finishing with aplomb. A late penalty for the
home side suggested a tiny possibility of forcing a replay but ultimately Mole Valley ran
out worthy winners of an FA Vase cup tie for the first time in their history. There was a
definite air of weariness hanging around the Spectrum even before kick off. The East Preston games had truly taken their toll
on hearts and minds and we were hoping that Mole Valley, a side unbeaten so far this
season, would not be at their best. An
extremely disappointing turnout and a lack of tannoy due to technical difficulties also
meant that it was difficult to generate the atmosphere every cup-tie should have. These are not excuses, honest…. Mole Valley started
the match as we feared they would, winning a series of corners on the far side which
failed to trouble Danny Burnett. It
wasn’t until the 11th minute that the ball finally made an appearance in
the Mole Valley half, City winning a freekick but seeing it cleared to safety. The visitors responded immediately and were soon
1-0 up. A cross was sent into the middle of
the box and with the Guildford defenders seemingly napping, Jay Holden slotted home. We were hoping this might wake City from their
despondency and things did start to look more encouraging as Mole Valley allowed Guildford
a little more time on the ball. The home side
could forge no clear cut chances in the next ten minutes, however, the one opportunity
falling to Banton-Brown who finally got behind the defenders, advanced on goal but tripped
over on the edge of the box before he could pull the trigger. Mole Valley started
to come back into the match once more, a freekick 25 yards out yielding a corner which was
cleared before another freekick was won closer in. A
clever low delivery to the near post did not out-fox Burnett, however, and he held the
ball well. The home side once more made
forays into the SCR half on the 30 minute mark in a promising period of play – Rivers
flicking on a ball and winning a corner. Unfortunately
a good first delivery which had to be kicked behind by a Mole Valley defender was followed
by one which curled behind for a goal kick. An excellent cross in the 34th minute,
however, did nearly yield a goal – Jamie King meeting the ball with a perfect header
which Leigh Bowden had to dive to push away from the top corner. City once more went on the offensive –
Banton-Brown doing some good work down the right wing and winning another corner, the ball
ping-ponging in the box but finally being blazed over the bar from the edge of the area. Guildford were
extremely below-par, but there had been enough promising moves in the past 10 minutes to
suggest they could turn the screws on Mole Valley. Unfortunately,
seemingly out of nowhere, a scuffle developed near the City area – both Tydeman
brothers being involved. It was clear Tommy
had raised his hands to another player and so no surprise when the referee brandished the
red card – the Mole Valley manager receiving the same treatment and being forced to
sit in the stands. I think we all knew at
that point that we were probably heading for another cup competition exit and Mole Valley
took full advantage. They would have scored
in the final minute of the half but for a superb sliding clearance by Danny Burnett when
he was left one-on-one with a Mole Valley forward. Another
shot from the visitors narrowly missed the mark before Graham Tydeman managed to go on the
offensive – launching a good pass to Carnegie who won a corner. Unfortunately the home side were unable to
capitalise and the whistle blew for halftime. A few beers during
the break did little to cheer any of us up, although Lofty’s insistent use of the
airhorn continued to cause amusement. He
actually took it with him to my friend Tom’s birthday bash later on and caused
pandemonium by letting it off at regular intervals in the pub!! With so few people about we pretty much had the
clubhouse to ourselves and very soon the players were out on the pitch again. Guildford started
the second half apparently with a new sense of purpose and really should have taken the
lead three minutes in – Anthony Bridgeman rising unmarked at the far post to meet a
cross but missing the target. The pressure
continued, despite a silly yellow card for Antony Hall when he wasn’t even on the
pitch, and City continued to look threatening. Anthony
Bridgeman tried a long range effort in the 58th minute before Harrison Carnegie
missed a sitter from the edge of the box after Jamie King bamboozled the Mole Valley
keeper on the byline. Carnegie once again
went close on the hour mark, curling a shot/pass just wide of the far post after receiving
the ball from a corner. He was clearly tiring
however, and Cory Knight was brought on to replacement him soon after. The visitors
responded however and soon Guildford were under the kosh – failing to clear their
lines and Mole Valley starting to camp in their half.
In the 71st minute SCR finally clinched the decisive goal –
Jay Holden tearing into the box and finishing impressively from an extreme angle. There seemed no way back for the home side now but
Mole Valley then (understandably) started to ease off and give City more of the ball. Jamie King was on target with a header in the 87th
minute from a corner but it flew into Bowden’s mitts before SCR went on the attack,
unleashing a screamer from the edge of the box which Burnett pushed onto the post at full
stretch. At the other end, Adesina was
causing problems with his pace and it was during one of his attacks that he was brought
down and the referee signalled a penalty. Rivers
stepped up and fired confidently into the top right hand corner of the net to reduce the
deficit but City could not turn the screw sufficiently in the remaining time to salvage
the tie. GUILDFORD CITY: D. Burnett; G.
Tydeman; T. Tydeman; T. Penson; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; A. Bridgeman (J. Turner, 75); L.
Hirrel; S. Rivers; H. Carnegie (C. Knight, 67); L. Banton-Brown (G. Adesina, 75) Subs not used: A. Hall; L.
Bradnick MOLE VALLEY SCR: L. Bowden; A.
Smith; J. Cottrell; N. Adams (M. Franklyn, 79); A. Bremner; D. Martyn; L. Holden; R.
Smith; K. Barry; J. Holden; J. Spence (P. Webber) Subs not used: D. Hartnoll; G.
Allen; M. Bare Referee: M. Carmichael Attendance: 31
Combined Counties
Premier League GUILDFORD CITY
1 Penson, 67 RAYNES PARK VALE 2 Ellard, 53; Phillips, 84, pen GUILDFORD allowed
more points to pass them by in this disappointing encounter with the impressive Raynes
Park Vale. Whilst City struggled at times to
deal with Vale’s pacey forwards, they forged more than their share of chances. They only converted one however – Tom Penson
firing home after Dave Ellard had scored for the visitors.
More chances followed but inevitably, given their recent luck, City gave
away a penalty – Stefan Phillips converting from the spot. Guildford now face a tricky visit to Chertsey on
Saturday on the back of two straight defeats – it will be a daunting task. This was yet
another low key match, partly because the tannoy was out of action for most of the game
and partly due to another small attendance – just 45 people braving what was in all
fairness a fairly miserable evening, weather-wise. We
certainly were glad of the stand when the rain started to bucket it down half way through
the first half!! Football-wise we were
expecting a tough match against a side that had beaten North Greenford 3-0 away from home
at the weekend – and so it proved. Guildford started
well – forcing a corner in the opening minutes which they were unable to capitalise
on. However we very quickly saw just how
dangerous the Vale could be as they mounted a number of quick counter-attacks which
stretched the City defence to the limit. Lance
did forge the first decent chance in the 17th minute however – getting
behind his marker and running through on goal with Paul Brady, the Vale shot-stopper
advancing to meet him. Thinking quickly he
tried to lob the ball over the keeper but it went well wide. Minutes later the home side had another corner,
the ball eventually falling to Ben Rayner who drove his shot well wide. The visitors had a good chance of their own in the
23rd minute however, a freekick some 25 yards out causing mayhem in the
Guildford penalty area before the ball was cleared to Lance who again went through on goal
before being dispossessed by a superbly timed challenge from a Raynes Park defender. The pattern of
attack and counter-attack continued and both sides had good chances to go ahead around the
half hour mark. First Vale left back Eric
Karikari tried an audacious lob from a freekick – the ball being hooked just over the
bar. Then it was Guildford’s turn, a
corner being delivered low to the far post and headed wide when it seemed easier to score! The game continued to be open with Guildford
pushing forward and winning a freekick on the edge of the box which was delivered along
the ground as a daisy-cutter. Raynes Park
cleared their lines and then counter-attacked, the City defenders doing well to hoof the
ball to safety. Still the chances came, and
Guildford were rightfully aggrieved in the 38th minute when Lance appeared to
be upended in the penalty area but no penalty (or freekick, for that matter) was given,
much to the disgust of the home fans and bench alike.
The half concluded with chances for both sides – Antony Hall spilling
the ball from a corner in the 45th minute and then gathering at the second
attempt just in time and then a City freekick dropped cleverly into the path of three
onrushing players – none could slide in, in time before Brady got to it however. There was little to
do at halftime but get a beer and hope the standard of the play got better. One man appeared to be enjoying himself at least
– a ground-hopper who normally supported Stokesley FC of Northern League division 2. He had astonishingly spent the last week on a tour
of England watching games every day as far afield as Liverpool and Cornwall. He assured me that this was not the worst game of
football he had seen but that he probably would consider heading back up to Teesside the
next day! Chris of course made sure our
“Smoggy” visitor had a badge and Eddie that he had a beer, so everyone was
happy. The visitors
started the second half strongly, winning a corner in the 48th minute and
generally pressurising City with their pacey counter attacks. It was no surprise that they finally got their
reward in the 53rd minute – a pinpoint cross finding the head of Dave
Ellard who applied the slightest of flicks to send the ball into the back of the net. Kevin decided this was a good time to shuffle his
pack and he took off the yellow carded Tommy Tydeman and replaced him with Tony Arnold. Minutes later Harrison Carnegie, who had had a
quiet match up until now, suddenly found himself in some space, he jinked and weaved past
his markers and looked to have an excellent chance of scoring from some 10 yards out. Unfortunately his touch deserted him at the last
minute and his shot went horribly wide – much to our frustration. The tempo did not let up for a second and on the
hour mark, Guildford had another reason to be furious with the referee after Ben Rayner
was pushed in the face and squared up to his opponent.
Tommy Tydeman had been sent off for just such an offence on Saturday but the
referee brandished a yellow card and booked both players.
The annoyance was
dissipated some six minutes later however when City levelled the scores – the ball
being delivered into the box and ping-ponging around before Tom Penson finally applied
enough to force it over the line. Suddenly
Guildford were looking the more dangerous side and when Lance tore down the right wing and
cut inside to go through on goal we thought our chance to go 2-1 ahead had arrived. Unfortunately Lance’s shot lacked power and
was eventually cleared by a defender. Raynes
Park started to come back into contention and Jamie King was forced into a rash challenge
to prevent one of their pacey wingers going through on goal in the 73rd minute. Chances were at a premium however and we were
starting to believe City could halt their disappointing run and salvage a point when a
Vale player appeared to be upended in the box and the ref pointed to the penalty spot. Stefan Phillips stepped up and fired his shot to
Hall’s right – the City keeper guessing correctly but not quite keeping it out. There was still
time to get something from this game and City upped their tempo once more: Terry Lineker,
making his debut, pulling off an impressive flick to put Adesina through down the right
wing. Gabby’s cross was well directed
but Harrison could not quite get his head to it. For
all their endeavour though, Guildford just could not create the killer chance – a
long range effort from Ben Rayner two minutes from time being the final opportunity of the
match. GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; T.
Tydeman (T. Arnold, 58); C. Knight; T. Penson; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; G. Adesina; B.
Rayner (Terry Lineker, 81); S. Rivers; H. Carnegie; L. Banton-Brown (Danny Elgar, 78) Subs not used: J. Turner; A.
Bridgeman Booked: T. Tydeman; J.
King; B. Rayner RAYNES PARK VALE: P. Brady; E.
Taylor; E. Karikari; (M. Jordan); D. Stevens; A. Rixon-Nichols; E. Sempa; S. Phillips; E.
Thompson; D. Ellard; M. Accardi (D. Grobler, 85); R. Harmeston Subs not used: None Booked: D. Ellard; M.
Jordan Referee: R. Hailstone Attendance: 45
Combined Counties Premier League CHERTSEY TOWN 2 Mazzone, 77, 90+2 GUILDFORD CITY 2 Rivers, 35, pen; King, 70 GUILDFORD finally ended their run of defeats with this gutsy draw against high flying (and spending) Chertsey Town. Given that City held a 2-0 lead for part of the game, some might point to another collapse on a par with East Preston. Not a bit of it. In reality, whilst Guildford matched their opponents in the first half and fully deserved their 1-0 lead at the break, they were comprehensively outplayed in the second period. Had it not been for a brilliant penalty save by Hall and a stunning goal by Jamie King out of nothing, it could well have been the Curfews running out winners by three or four goals to one. We can only hope this improved performance bodes well for Tuesday’s match against Hanworth Villa. Having had so many home games in recent weeks, it was nice to finally have an away game and the chance to relax a bit. Matt H and I took full advantage, supping some excellent pints of Hobgoblin and Witchcraft in the Curfews clubhouse. We nearly got so comfortable we forgot to sort out the teamsheet but luckily Kevin reminded us just in time!! Before we knew it the teams were ready to kick off so we made our way behind the Chertsey goal. Guildford made a good start and within two minutes had won a corner which the Curfews did well to clear. Inevitably the home side started to look dangerous and in the 6th minute we were reminded how dangerous John Pomroy could be when he half-volleyed a shot from ten yards out and forced a superb instinctive save by Hall – the ball being pushed behind for a corner which luckily came to nothing. The visitors were limiting the home side’s opportunities, however, despite some blistering runs from the impressive Andre Delissier. Danny Elgar in his first start since his return from Colliers Wood was looking particularly impressive – his crossing and deliveries from dead ball situations causing the Curfews some problems. City had a good chance in the 20th minute when Adesina beat his marker and looked to bury the ball in the back of the net. Unfortunately his shot was weak and easily saved, much to Sean Rivers’s annoyance as he had been running into the box unmarked. Rivers did win a corner a few minutes later though, when an innocuous looking shot caught out Lidbury and he was forced to turn the ball round the post; as before though, the set piece came to nothing. Guildford’s games seem to attract contentious decisions and one duly arrived in the 27th minute. Chertsey won a freekick on the edge of their penalty area and Lidbury opted to take it quickly, blasting it deliberately into Sean Rivers who (not surprisingly) had not had a chance to retreat 10 yards. Rivers coolly turned and flicked the ball into the open net but instead of giving a goal, the ref booked the City striker for kicking the ball away. Chertsey took advantage of their let off and should have done better a minute later – a shot from the edge of the box going well over the bar. Slowly but surely though City were turning the screw – winning a freekick on the half hour mark which Elgar put just over the bar and then Rivers heading wide from a cross. In the 35th minute, after another good move, Jamie King advanced into the Curfews penalty area and let fly with a shot which hit the hand of a Chertsey player. Despite protests that the handball was not deliberate, the ref pointed to the spot and Rivers clinically fired into the right hand side of the net – Lidbury not having time to move. Not surprisingly Chertsey responded strongly and Antony Hall once again proved his salt diving twice to block a shot in the City area, in the 36th minute. The rest of the first period was largely uneventful with City doing well to keep their opponents at bay but finding room at the back to mount some attacks. Half time provided a chance to sample some Chertsey hospitality (although for some reason they were convinced that I was a journalist!) and to eat some excellent nibbles. We also updated via text those who had not made it to the match. None of us dared to hope that City could win and I was trying to tell myself that a draw would be a good result – probably just as well in the end! The match restarted and Guildford picked up where they had left off, containing the hosts and mounting some threatening attacks. Anthony Bridgeman did especially well in the 51st minute – running down the left wing before letting fly with a powerful shot which went only a few inches wide of the near post. A few minutes later Guildford won a freekick on the edge of the area after Adesina was pulled down but the chance came to nothing. The home side decided to shake things up a little at this point with a double substitution, Mazzone and McNamara joining the fray for Higgins and Holley – and this made a significant difference to the Curfews’ attacking threat. Moments later Tom Penson had to be on top of his game to dispossess Delissier after the midfielder carved a path of destruction to the edge of Guildford’s area. City had a great chance at the other end, though, in the 59th minute – Adesina once again shaking off his marker and running into the box. He appeared to be pulled back but stayed on his feet to unleash a shot which Lidbury just turned behind for a corner. Annoyingly if Gabby had gone down we might have won another penalty. As it was the corner was cleared and City once again found themselves under the cosh – Penson expertly dispossessing Delissier for the second time and averting a chance to score. Chertsey turned up the heat even more and Graham Tydeman was lucky to get away with a yellow after bringing down a player when he appeared to be the last man. Inevitably the pressure brought results and in the 67th minute a Curfews player was brought down in the box and the ref pointed to the penalty spot for the second time. John Pomroy stepped up and we all expected a clinical strike and cheers from the home fans. Amazingly though, Hall guessed correctly and dived to his right, pushing the ball behind for a corner which was well cleared. Somehow Guildford were still 1-0 up and astonishingly things got even better just three minutes later – Jamie King receiving the ball some 20 yards out and firing a powerful shot along the ground towards goal. Lidbury appeared to have it covered but the ball must have curled because it nestled in the back of the net to the cheers of the City players and fans. Things could not continue to go Guildford’s way and the home side threw everything at the visitors in a bid to get back into the game. The breakthrough finally came in the 77th minute, the ball being delivered into the box and the visitors being unable to clear their lines before Jack Mazzone prodded the ball home. Things got worse for City moments later when Kev Rayner was forced to take off Tommy Tydeman with a calf strain – Tony Arnold replacing him at left back. Now the play was entirely with the home side but to our great surprise they could not get the equaliser. A bullet was definitely dodged in the 84th minute when a screamer from the edge of the box, beat Hall but rebounded off the bar. A minute later Pomroy tried a lob which again narrowly missed the target. City’s one attack in these final minutes of the game came from Lance – a powerful shot being easily gathered by Lidbury before the ball once again headed for the Guildford end. Time was ticking away but I think we all knew City would be extremely fortunate to come away with all three points. Luck did appear to be with us as the Curfews missed another excellent chance – firing wide at the far post after a freekick in the 91st minute. It ran out a minute later though, a defensive error down the right wing allowing Mazzone to lob the ball over Hall and into the net from the edge of the box. We dreaded a last minute Chertsey winner but the whistle blew soon after and City were left to rue that lapse of concentration at the death. CHERTSEY TOWN: M. Lidbury; T. Higgins (J. Mazzone, 54); M. Holley (S. McNamara, 54); J. Francis; D. Inman; S. Gibson; A. Delissier; A. Crossley; J. Pomroy; K. Lock; O. Treacher Subs not used: T. Webb; J. Leighton; J. Gowland Booked: J. Pomroy; K. Lock; GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; G. Tydeman; T. Tydeman (T. Arnold, 81); T. Penson; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; A. Bridgeman; B. Rayner; S. Rivers (L. Banton-Brown, 70); G. Adesina; Danny Elgar (J. Turner, 78) Subs not used: T. Lineker; H. Carnegie Booked: J. Turner; G. Tydeman; T. Penson; S. Rivers Referee: M. Kelly Attendance: 90
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THIS truly was a bizarre game. It
contained a sending off, a ridiculous amount of missed chances, a disallowed goal that
fooled half of the City fans and to cap it all, fulltime on 88 minutes!! City were looking
good up until the 13th minute, despite resting a few players prior to Saturday’s big
match, yet fell behind to a well worked freekick from the home side. The visitors then
contrived to miss a hatful of chances, had a goal disallowed and then sealed a draw
courtesy of a Rivers goal in what turned out to be the last minute. 