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Saturday 6 March 2010 Combined Counties Premier League GUILDFORD CITY 3 Rayner, 47; Cooper, 56; McLeod, 62 NORTH GREENFORD UTD 1 Pither, 64
This was the first free home game ever tried by Guildford City and it was a resounding success. 162 people came to watch, 50 short of beating the record, but an encouraging sign that there is support for this club in Guildford. The match also marked the official launch of our ground bid and we were extremely pleased to see so many councillors and prospective Parliamentary candidates turning up and discussing our ideas. A long way to go yet but the initial signs are encouraging. The first half of the game was a patchy affair with Guildford shading the possession but the visitors arguably having the better of what chances there were. Indeed the match could have gone in a totally different direction had a little bit of luck not been on City’s side in the 3rd minute. A United forward beat the offside trap and advanced on the City goal. Antony Hall was quick off his line but his attempted clearance cannoned back off the North Greenford player and span inches wide of the post. The game quickly settled down after this and both midfields worked hard to restrict service to the strikers. On the quarter hour mark Guildford won a freekick which was curled just beyond the heads of several players in the United box and then moments later an excellent pass found Carnegie who could only shoot straight at the keeper. The visitors responded in kind but a long range shot was so wayward it went out for a throw in and in the 19th minute midfielder Michael Murray half volleyed a shot well over the bar. The home side were starting to look comfortable in midfield and, if nothing else, anyone new to Guildford City could see the quality of the passing and movement of Kevin Rayner’s side. In the 22nd minute a clever backheel by Carnegie found Danny Elgar whose shot caught a defender and was deflected into the keeper’s mitts. A minute later Elgar did a little better, forcing United keeper Jallow into a superb reflex save from a freekick – the ball being pushed over the bar. More Guildford possession ensued but with very little end product until Jack McLeod was released in the 32nd minute – the City striker was one-on-one with the keeper but opted to cross the ball to the far post instead of shooting – with no-one there the ball went out of play. Back came United - an excellent cross being forced behind for a corner. The set piece was cleared but the ball returned to the Guildford area – ping-ponging about until it was cleared for a throw-in. The pendulum swung back in favour of the home side however and in the 37th minute Jack McLeod was put through again - this time United’s defence back-tracked quickly and managed to dispossess him. The final chance of the half fell to the Guildford striker in the 42nd minute – a good shot being held by Jallow. The game was evenly poised and it appeared this match would only be decided by a single goal. My pre match prediction of a high scoring draw seemed extremely unlikely but how different the second half was from the first. Guildford started brightly again and, with many fans still in the clubhouse, they pulled ahead just two minutes after the break. An excellent run down the left wing resulted in the ball being crossed from the byline into the path of Ben Rayner. The City midfielder made no mistake firing into the roof of the net with Jallow completely wrong-footed. The home side definitely had the bit between their teeth and more chances followed – a great cross from Rayner flying just wide of the far post in the 53rd minute. The second goal followed soon after, an excellent cross being swung in and finding the head of Simon Cooper who rose above the crowded penalty area to nod the ball home at the far post. City were completely dominating by this point and a deft flick into the box led to a shot being held at point blank range by the United keeper. North Greenford began to commit more players up front and in the 62nd minute Jack McLeod, finally with his shooting boots on, took full advantage. The ball was punted hopefully up the pitch with McLeod in quick pursuit and Jallow advancing to meet it from the other end. McLeod got there just in time, beat the keeper, stumbled and then slotted home just before a defender could tackle him. It was a scrappy goal but it all but sealed the match for City. Or did it? Because just two minutes later, North Greenford pulled a goal back, heading home from extreme close range at the far post after an Alf Patterson cross. Suddenly pulses quickened and the spectre of East Preston began to hover over the Spectrum. United went for broke with a double substitution and we feared the Guildford penalty area would be like the Alamo. We needn’t have worried however as City did not sit back and started forging more chances. In the 67th minute Carnegie demonstrated superb skill in the box to beat his marker and then pass to Rayner who blazed over. Three minutes later Hall was fortunate to escape after spilling a cross but the ball was immediately cleared up field to Jack McLeod whose shot was saved and then hurriedly cleared. The visitors continued to strive to reduce the deficit and tempers were starting to get frayed: Hall and a Greenford striker facing off in the 81st minute, luckily without incident. A minute later the visitors won a freekick in a dangerous position, the resulting delivery flying like a missile a foot wide of the far post and thumping into the discus net behind the goal. More pressure followed and United won 2 corners in succession, the City goalkeeper catching a routine header on the line from the second before the home side finally cleared their lines – James Brown curling a delightful shot which was only just saved by Jallow. The final minutes of the match were eventful. First United went extremely close – a cross missing the head of a completely unmarked Dave Lawrence by millimetres – and then seemingly out of nothing Lance Banton-Brown was sent off for swearing at the referee. We had no idea how much time was left and things could have got extremely tense had Ryan Welsh’s powerful drive not been superbly saved by Hall in the 93rd minute. As it was though, City held on to record another famous victory – let’s hope we have a few more down to support us in the weeks to come. GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; E. Defreitas; T. Penson; S. Cooper; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; J. Brown; B. Rayner (A. Bridgeman, 88); J. McLeod; H. Carnegie (L. Banton-Brown, 87); D. Elgar Subs not used: C. Knight; T. Arnold; L. Bradnick Booked: E. Defreitas Sent off: L. Banton-Brown NORTH GREENFORD UTD: G. Jallow; S. Hillier; A. Patterson; N. Turner; C. Meddes (K. McKenna, 65); M. Murray (J. Sparrowhawk, 65); A. DeLisser; C. Hibbs; R. Pither; D. Lawrence; R. Welsh Subs not used: A. Mahmoud Booked/sent off: None Referee: W. Davis Attendance: 162
Combined Counties Premier Challenge Cup Quarter Finals HORLEY TOWN 3 Piller, 12; Ragetti, 58; Eldred 69 GUILDFORD CITY 2 Knight, 71; Cooper, 90+2 GUILDFORD bowed out of the EL Records Premier Challenge Cup with this disappointing performance against Horley. The Clarets took the lead courtesy of some poor goalkeeping and managed to contain City effectively for the remainder of the half. Things got worse when a freekick took a wicked deflection and nestled in the back of the net and the match was all but won with 20 minutes to go – John Eldred pouncing to capitalise on more poor handling in the box. The Guildfordians responded immediately from a Cory Knight shot but a Danny Elgar spotkick was saved. A further stonewall penalty appeal was waved away before Cooper fired home in stoppage time, but it was not enough to take the tie to extra time. After the euphoric victory against North Greenford on Saturday, hopes were high that City could win this tie and keep themselves in the hunt for the only realistic silverware available this season. Lining up against them however were Horley, a side City had drawn with 4 times out of the last 5, and lost to 5-2 in the league cup last season. Extra time and possibly penalties seemed a real possibility. Guildford’s confidence was quickly dispelled as the home side made an excellent start to the game. A Horley shot flew wide of the post in the 1st minute and Antony Hall had to be quick on his feet to hold a Michael Smith shot a few minutes later. City’s first attack saw Horley keeper Stewart Devlin smother the ball during a goalmouth scramble but they could not prevent the Clarets taking the lead in the 13th minute. Simon Cooper brought down Jamie Risebrow when the home side were on the break, earning a yellow card for his troubles. A innocuous delivery was dropped into the box which Antony Hall seemed certain to catch but he fumbled it and midfielder Clive Piller was on hand to smartly head the loose ball home. You could see the confidence surging into the Clarets and they promptly went on another attack but Hall was able to hold onto Adam Pullen’s attempted lob. The match settled down a little with Horley’s reliable and physically robust defenders soaking up pretty much everything Guildford could throw at them. A City freekick in the 23rd minute offered a chance to test Devlin and Simon Cooper’s low shot had to be cleared off the line. However Horley were not in the mood to defend their lead and continued to take pot shots from outside the area – an Anthony Jupp lob beating Hall but just clearing the bar and a freekick being saved at the second attempt. At the other end, City were struggling to carve out any clear cut openings. Simon Cooper tried his luck in the 35th minute but his shot flew just wide of the post. More half chances followed for both sides – a long range shot from Piller going wide and a City freekick in the last minute of stoppage time being comfortably cleared off the line by Jupp. Much alarm was caused during halftime when it emerged that the Guildford City whale, sorry ‘orca’ had been kidnapped by the Horley fans – incriminating pictures of Michael Death astride the fine beast being subsequently found on their website – but luckily “Horace” was quickly restored to his rightful owners. Guildford made a much better start to the second half, winning a freekick just three minutes after the restart when Lance Banton-Brown was comprehensively taken out. A corner followed for the visitors – Simon Cooper curling a shot wide after the keeper had punched clear in the 53rd minute. Horley were still posing a threat however and Piller had been unlucky to see his shot fly over the bar a few minutes earlier. With the game evenly balanced, Horley notched their second goal courtesy of some luck in the 58th minute. A City player handballed on the edge of the box and the resulting freekick deflected off the wall and nestled in the back of the net with Antony Hall totally wrong-footed. Things were starting to get desperate now and Kev Rayner made a double substitution – Bridgeman and Knight replacing Penson and Brown. This seemed to lift City’s play and a good move in the 65th minute culiminated in Danny Elgar firing over. They could not avoid conceding a freekick on the edge of the box a few minutes later however, in an almost identical position to where the first goal was scored from. Once again Ragetti stepped up and fired a shot over the wall to the far post – Hall was ready for it this time but inexplicably could only palm the ball into the path of John Eldred who finished easily. This was surely Game Over but to their credit, the Guildford players refused to lay down and they reduced the deficit just two minutes later. A shot from Cory Knight appeared to be pushed out by Devlin; the linesman knew otherwise however and he flagged that the ball had crossed the line. With echoes of the Liverpool European Cup victory in 2005, City were so close to making it 3-2 just a minute later when Lance Banton-Brown was brought down in the box and a penalty awarded. Danny Elgar never looked confident with his spotkick however and his weak shot was easily saved. Time was ticking down but Guildford could and should have been awarded a second penalty in the 78th minute. The ball was crossed into the box and a Horley player clearly handled it in front of the City fans and the referee and linesman. Perhaps because he had just awarded a spotkick, the referee waved play on but his decision enraged the Guildford bench – Roly being sent off for yelling abuse. Horley could have put the match beyond any reasonable doubt a minute or so later – a Pullen cross falling to Ragetti whose header somehow missed the net which was gaping in front of him. City had nothing to lose by this point and started pouring men upfield and exerting some real pressure. In the 82nd minute, Devlin did well to palm away a dangerous Guildford corner before at the other end, Hall caught a header smartly on the line. City finally got the goal their efforts deserved in the dying moments of the game. A freekick some 25 yards out being pumped in and Simon Cooper firing home from close range. It was not enough however to prevent Horley going through to the semi finals and a winnable tie against Bedfont. GUILDFORD CITY: A.Hall; E. Defreitas; T. Penson (C. Knight, 63); S. Cooper; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; J. Brown (A. Bridgeman, 63); B. Rayner; L. Banton-Brown; H. Carnegie; D. Elgar Subs not used: G. Phillips; L. Bradnick; T. Arnold Booked: T. Penson; S. Cooper; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; B. Rayner; L. Banton-Brown; H. Carnegie HORLEY TOWN: S. Devlin; A. Jupp; D. Medhurst; S. Manning; D. Guscott; J. Eldred; M. Smith (J. Mills, 75); C. Piller; J. Risebrow (D. Tidey 90+6); A. Pullen; L. Ragetti Subs not used: L. Bryant; M. Death Booked: A. Jupp; M. Smith; C. Piller Referee: I. Kitchen Attendance: 88
Combined Counties Premier League BEDFONT 5 Benn, 4; Nicholls 22, pen, 33, 43; Mngadi 58 GUILDFORD CITY 4 Banton-Brown 13; King 47, 63; Elgar 54 GUILDFORD emerged on the wrong side of a 9 goal thriller in this exciting but ultimately unsuccessful encounter with Bedfont. With perhaps some hangover from Tuesday City went behind early on but equalised courtesy of Lance Banton-Brown. Bedfont quickly pulled ahead however and extended their lead to 4-1 at the break thanks to a hat trick from former Chelsea star Mark Nicholls. The visitors never gave up however and goals from Jamie King and Danny Elgar pulled the lead back to 4-3 before a sloppy breakaway goal was conceded. King scored again but City could not get the equaliser. This was another ground on which Guildford’s recent experiences had been less than happy – 2 defeats in the last two trips to The Orchard. Still, the trip up was extremely straightforward thanks to a quiet M25 and we were supping pints in the Bedfont clubhouse in good time for kickoff. It was clear from the start that this was going to be an open game – Danny Elgar going close with a whipped cross-come-shot before, much to our bewilderment, we fell behind in the 4th minute. Mark Nicholls, used his skill and experience to get goalside of Tom Penson down the right hand side and then fired an inch-perfect pass to the far post for George Benn to shoot and then score from Antony Hall’s parry. Guildford responded immediately, finding space behind the back four but could not capitalise from two freekicks on the edge of the box. In the 9th minute a long ball over the top found Banton-Brown but with only the keeper to beat he fired wide of the post. Luckily he was able redeem himself just two minutes later. Ben Rayner unleashed an exquisite through-ball into the path of the City striker and Lance pulled the trigger, seeing his initial shot saved but poking home the rebound. City seemed to have steadied the ship and with more possession, we were now looking for them to take the lead. Harrison Carnegie proceeded to go close in the 15th minute after a great run, but with Anthony Bridgeman totally unmarked down the right hand side he opted to fire a speculative shot from long range. It was Bedfont though who restored their advantage in the 22nd minute – a forward being released down the middle and Antony Hall bringing him down. The City goalkeeper was given quite a fortunate yellow card and Mark Nicholls stepped up, waited for the keeper to commit and slotted the spotkick home confidently. The City players appeared to suffer a crisis of confidence at this point. Bedfont midfielder Julius Mngadi was allowed to volley over at the far post when completely unmarked and then in the 27th minute, Jamie Thoroughgood seemed to scythe down a Bedfont player in the box. We were expecting at least a penalty and perhaps a red card but no, the referee pointed to the corner and the delivery was held by Hall at his near post. With this unbelievable let off still in their minds, the City players started to play with more composure and Carnegie made another blistering run down the left wing a minute later. He reached the byline and unselfishly cut the ball back to Bridgeman who saw his shot deflect behind for a corner which was cleared to safety. The City pressure continued and it seemed only a matter of time before the equaliser came – despite a booking for Cory Knight for a rash challenge on the half hour mark. It was Bedfont however who extended their lead a few minutes later. A throw-in of truly Rory Delap-esque proportions was hurled into the box and who should be there at the far post but Nicholls. His header was half parried by Hall but the City keeper could not prevent it crossing the line and suddenly the Middlesex side were looking strong favourites to win. More mistakes started to creep into Guildford’s play – both Bridgeman and King making errors which nearly allowed a one-on-one in the 38th minute – and with three minutes of the half remaining, Bedfont made it 4-1. Danny Elgar was on the attack down the left wing and was fouled but stayed on his feet. The referee signalled the advantage but Elgar lost the ball almost immediately. With City fans screaming for the freekick, Bedfont then put together a wonderful passing move which culminated in Nicholls slotting home from close range to complete his hat-trick. This was now getting extremely worrying and the home side tested Hall twice more before the break with Simon Cooper trying a desperate long range shot at the other end which flew well wide. We could see the annoyance in Kevin and Roly’s faces as the lads trooped off at the break but could only see avoiding an absolute whipping as the best to be hoped for. The impressive James Brown was brought on at half time for the out of sorts Bridgeman but otherwise Kev kept faith with his side. Sure enough City pulled a goal back in the 47th minute. A freekick on the edge of the box was not properly cleared, allowing Jamie King to fire home the loose ball. City were fortunate not to concede immediately when Hall came and missed a corner a minute later but in the 54th minute the visitors scored again to cut the deficit to just one. Danny Elgar, who was starting to give Jack Clarke a torrid time down the left wing, cut inside, rode a few challenges and then fired into the back of the net from the edge of the box to give the City fans behind the goal some hope of an unlikely comeback. It was short-lived however as another defensive mix-up allowed an innocuous through ball to be headed beyond Hall by Julius Mngadi to make it 5-3 to Bedfont. Surely this was the final twist of the game but no, City managed to claw their way back into contention again. A Guildford freekick on the edge of the box ricocheted off a few players, smacking off Jamie King’s head and hitting the back of the net to once more give hope of something being salvaged. The next ten minutes or so belonged to the visitors as Bedfont clung on. Carnegie went agonisingly close in the 64th minute, firing over the bar after a nice lay-off from Danny Elgar and five minutes later Lance missed the best chance of the half. Carnegie ran to the byline and crossed to the near post but Lance wasn’t ready and instead of sidefooting the ball into the open net he could only kick the ball back towards Harrison. Guildford won several more freekicks but it was too much to expect the remainder of the half to match those magical first 25 minutes and the game pretty much petered out at this point. Bedfont cleverly ran down the clock while Guildford tried everything in their power to get the equaliser which would have signalled an amazing comeback. The last chance of note came in the 76th minute when Tom Penson cleverly released Harrison but the City striker’s cross was held. Let’s hope we can get back to winning ways against Chertsey on Wednesday. BEDFONT: R. Preedy; J. Clarke (J. Shipperley, 55); L. Harrington; G. Benn; L. Hind; D. Bennell; C. Drake (S. O’Brian, 24); J. Mngadi; A. Morgan (S. Hinds, 80); M. Nicholls; L. Clarke Subs not used: A. Kpunpamo; M. Charman Booked: L. Clarke; L. Harrington; M. Nicholls GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; T. Penson; C. Knight; S. Cooper; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; A. Bridgeman (J. Brown, 45); B. Rayner; L. Banton-Brown (G. Phillips, 88); H. Carnegie; D. Elgar Subs not used: Jack Holloway; S. Elgar; Sean Carroway Booked: A. Hall; C. Knight; S. Cooper Referee: G. Collins Attendance: 53
Combined Counties Premier League GUILDFORD CITY 0 CHERTSEY TOWN 1 Worthington, 61
Chertsey had the better of the possession in the opening stages of the match but chances were few and far between, with Guildford’s back four finally looking a little more comfortable after a torrid last few games. In fact it was the home side who carved out the first chance, winning a corner in the 16th minute. The ball was superbly curled into the box, bamboozling the keeper and falling to Lance Banton-Brown who could not get enough on it to force it over the line. City continued to have the edge but were limited to snapshots by Chertsey’s well organised back four and midfield. Still, Danny Elgar managed to go close with a long range effort in the 28th minute and saw a weak close shot from the edge of the area held after an impressive move a minute later. The home side’s slick passing continued but still without result and the Curfews sat back, absorbing the pressure. More chances went Guildford’s way – Banton-Brown trying a delicate chip in the 42nd minute which went just wide and a further long range shot flying over the bar not long after. However Chertsey laid down a marker in the dying moments of the half – Antony Hall having to be on top of his game first to parry a powerful close range shot and catch the ball on the line and then diving brilliantly to his left to save a goal-bound header from a corner a minute later. The second half was soon upon on us and as we feared, the Curfews picked up where they had left off. In the 48th minute, City were fortunate to see a header fly wide of the post from a cross and a few minutes later a sloppy pass from Tom Penson nearly led to a scoring opportunity. Luckily Jamie Thoroughgood was on hand to head clear and Hall saved a stinging but straightforward long range shot. Guildford started to recover and we could see Danny Elgar getting into his stride, despite being taken out by a Chertsey player without any retribution from the referee. In the 54th minute he brilliantly shook off his marker down the right wing to run to the byline and send in a peach of a cross which Carnegie caught perfectly with his head. Somehow though, Liam Stone, the Chertsey keeper dived low to his left to push the ball off the line and prevent his side going behind. A few minutes later it was the Curfews turn and Steve Goddard saw an excellent effort fly into the hands of Hall. Guildford were not about to cede the initiative however and came forward again, winning a freekick in a central position on the edge of the box. The delivery partially cleared the wall, deflecting at a funny angle which we hoped might wrong-foot the keeper and hit the back of the net (as it had done so cruelly for us at Horley). Alas it was not to be and the resulting corner was easily claimed. The match was evenly poised and the Guildford defence seemed to be handling most of what was thrown at it. Unfortunately it gave way in the 61st minute. With our hearts in our mouths we watched as a shot was cleared off the City goal-line and the ball eventually headed to the edge of the box. We breathed easy again but our celebrations were premature as the Goliath-esque Dom Worthington hammered the ball into the top corner through a crowded penalty area. Chertsey had achieved the first part of their smash-and-grab plan raid but the City players were damned if they were going to let them escape with the loot. Banton-Brown drew a diving catch from Stone a minute after the goal but it could have been 2-0 to the visitors five minutes later when Hall dropped a catch and saw the ball blazed over the bar. Still, Guildford were seeing more of the ball and more chances came. In the 72nd minute Carnegie did well to turn and shoot just wide under the close attention of Chertsey’s towering back four and Danny Elgar made a good run down the right but without the vital killer cross. Guildford switched to three at the back and with none other than Tom Penson acting as the third striker, went for broke. But they were fortunate not to be another goal down in the 84th minute as Chertsey counter-attacked down the left wing and the ball found the completely unmarked Agyei in the box. The striker’s composure was poor however and with Hall spreading himself wide, he shot straight at the keeper. Tempers started to fray on the pitch as the City players sensed the end of their magnificent home run – Tom Penson finding his way into the book for dissent and Simon Cooper being lucky not to get a card for a desperate foul. The Curfews again went close in the 88th minute – a superb strike beating Hall but smacking against the post. We all hoped for some customary City magic in the dying moments of the game and the chance duly came. Simon Cooper, in the thick of the action, bicycle-kicked a cross to Carnegie. The ball was loose and the net was gaping but the City striker just could not get to it. There was still time remaining plus stoppages but Chertsey proved expert at running the clock down and before we knew it the whistle had blown for fulltime. A much improved performance though, and let’s hope for a return to winning ways against Croydon on Saturday. GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; E. Defreitas; T. Penson; S. Cooper; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; H. Carnegie; B. Rayner; L. Banton-Brown (R. McCarry, 66); L. Simpson (S. Carroway, 77); D. Elgar Subs not used: J. Holloway; T. Arnold; B. Caine Booked: T. Penson; J. King CHERTSEY TOWN: L. Stone; S. Gibson (D. Worthington); O. Treacher; M. Moody; J. Boswell; J. Francis; S. Goddard; G. Bamford; K. Agyei; D. Papali (J. Pomroy, 82); A. Crossley Subs not used: P. Ellery; S. Tyson; J. Mazzone Booked: D. Papari Referee: P. Conn Attendance: 67
Combined Counties Premier League GUILDFORD CITY 4 King 13, 84; Thoroughgood 29; D. Elgar 79 CROYDON 0
The rain had been falling steadily for most of the night and morning, causing some of us to look with a little concern at the pitch and hope it would be playable. As it was, a little forking and sweeping enabled the worst of the puddles to disappear and we were ready to go. Croydon started positively – John Gladwin heading weakly at Hall from a cross in the first minute. However City started to look the more dangerous and drew first blood in the 13th minute. Harrison Carnegie shredded his marker down the left wing and then unleashed a superb cross into the box. France (no not the country but the Trams custodian), fumbled the ball and Jamie King was able to head it over the line despite the best attempts of a defender to clear it. Goal of the season contender it was not and certain team-mates of Mr King were suggesting it should go down as “OG” – you owe me one there Jamie! The Trams were not about to roll over and die (well not yet anyway) and had an excellent opportunity on the quarter hour mark. An good delivery from a freekick on the edge of the box had to be pushed over the bar by Antony Hall, who then easily claimed the corner. Guildford responded immediately through makeshift centre-forward Tom Penson. Perhaps he should play there more often as on the quarter hour mark he unleashed a screamer from 25 yards which France just managed to turn over his bar. Two minutes later it was Lance Banton-Brown’s turn as he ran onto a delightful through ball and was so nearly caught by France as he slid to claim the ball. Back came the visitors and in the 20th minute Michael Johnson let fly with a wonderful cross from the left wing which curled and swerved, evading Hall and the Guildford defence but not finding a Trams head to stick it in at the far post. The match settled into a war of attrition at this point with both midfields battling it out in the centre of the park. The game sprung back to life in the 28th minute though, when Danny Elgar, after using his skills to evade several challenges, hit a powerful low shot which France could only push around his near post. It was from the resulting corner that Guildford got their second – Jamie Thoroughgood rising to head the ball home. Yet again though, City were given a reminder that the match was not yet won – the Trams winning a freekick some 25 yards out. The delivery was superb, beating Hall but smacking back off the post and being fired into “row Z” by an over-eager Croydon forward. City took their foot of the pedal a bit now and Croydon really should have pulled a goal back in the 35th minute when Hall came for a cross and missed – John Gladwin shooting wide from a good position. The visitors continued to edge the possession but without forging any more clear-cut chances. The half concluded with both Danny Elgar and Justin Hemmings slicing crosses behind, much to the annoyance of their team-mates. The first 15 minutes of the second period were as boring a display of football as you are ever likely to see. Croydon’s body language (and perhaps the tiredness of playing two matches in the space of 48 hours) suggested they had already thrown in the towel whilst Guildford seemed content just to sit on their lead. Consequently it is fair to say that just about nothing of note happened until the Croydon manager shook things up a bit with a double substitution on the hour mark. All this seemed to do was revitalise City however, and suddenly chances started to flow again. In the 70th minute some impressive one touch passing saw Harrison Carnegie shank a shot horribly wide from a good scoring position. Minutes later, Carnegie was on the attack again, racing down the right wing before cleverly stopping the ball dead on the byline when we all thought it was a lost cause. His cross could not find a Guildford player however and the ball was cleared to safety. The City striker made amends in the 79th minute however, making another blistering run down the right and unleashing an excellent cross which found Tom Penson. Danny Elgar arrived on the scene at the same time and for a moment it seemed like neither player wanted to shoot. Luckily Danny Elgar recovered first and fired the ball home at the far post. Two minutes later Kevin made his third substitution of the day and brought on the second Guildford City Youth player – Jack Holloway joining the impressive Shaun Carroway. And it was Shaun who notched the next effort on goal in the 83rd minute, turning and firing over the bar from an extreme angle with a decent effort. Jack for his part was getting stuck in but very quickly had a rude welcome to Step 5 football when a player lunged at him, nearly knocking him flying. City made their dominance count a minute later when Jamie King rose to head home his second goal of the day from another pinpoint cross – the ball looping over the despairing France and nestling in the back of the net. Croydon had a good chance to pull one back almost immediately but Turgan Akli’s wild volley flew well wide. Tempers started to fray a little at this point – both Cory Knight and a Croydon player being booked for a “handbags” encounter near the touchline – and City had several chances to increase their lead still further. A Simon Cooper freekick in the 88th minute lacked the defender’s usual accuracy and in the dying moments the centre half in Tom Penson came to fore as he raced down the left wing and with only the keeper to beat opted to pass instead of shoot. Still, with 47 points and no chance of relegation, City can now look to improve their league placing with real confidence. GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; R. McCarry (T. Arnold, 77); C. Knight; S. Cooper; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; H. Carnegie; E. Defreitas; L. Banton-Brown (S. Carroway, 45); T. Penson; D. Elgar (J. Holloway, 81) Subs not used: B. Cain; S. Elgar Booked: C. Knight CROYDON: A. France; J. Loyza; M. Johnson; O. Young; N. Sophonie; S. Pagett; J. Grant; J. Hemmings; D. Clayton (S. Thomas, 62); M. Smith (T. Akli 75); J. Gladwin (C. Phelps, 62) Subs not used: D. Penfold; L. Goddard Booked: N. Sophonie; J. Hemmings Referee: M. Taylor Attendance: 54
Combined Counties Premier League
GUILDFORD
CITY 4 BEDFONT 1 Benn 56
Guildford City gained revenge in style for their 5-4 loss at Bedfont not long ago. A Ben Rayner goal direct from a corner set them off, with Jamie King doubling the lead. Tom Penson capitalised on a defensive slip to make it 3-0 shortly before half time. With Bedfont likely to press in the second half, and scoring an unlikely lob, it was up to Jack Guilford to settle matters with a debut goal. Very little happened in the opening exchanges between the two sides, with Bedfont passing the ball round well in the final third but unable to get any shots on target. Harrison Carnegie and Danny Elgar were linking up well but to little effect. In the 23rd minute the game sparked into life when City won a corner. Andy Backhurst looked to the sky and moaned, “We NEVER score from corners”. Just as he did this, Ben Rayner struck a beautiful left footed curler that flew straight into the goal for 1-0. Just a few minutes later Danny Elgar tried to get in on the action with a good free kick but couldn’t get it on target. In the 35th minute City won another corner, Ben Rayner stepping up to take it again amidst cries of “Shoot!” from the City supporters. It came to nothing this time, but just two minutes later City doubled their lead. A free kick midway in Bedfont’s half was flicked on into the box for Jamie King to slot home at the far post for his fifth goal since the New Year. Bedfont pressed soon after this, but Antony Hall was coping well under pressure from their physical strikers. Things got even better for City five minutes before half time as they worked the ball out of defence with a series of passes. Jamie King knocked the ball to Harrison Carnegie who tried to release Tom Penson down the right wing. Bedfont full back Sterry looked to have it covered, but slipped on the Spectrum pitch, leaving Tom Penson to round the keeper and stroll the ball into the goal. City went in 3-0 up after a clinical first half performance. Bedfont came on the attack after half time, perhaps remembering that they had been three goals ahead at the same point in the corresponding fixture at their ground a few weeks previously. City didn’t want a taste of their own medicine, but in the 50th minute Bedfont pulled a goal back. George Benn attempted a ludicrous shot from the left wing that caught Antony Hall unaware and looped over his head into the corner of the net. It was the appropriately named Jack Guilford who settled matters in the 61st minute. Having already hit the post a few minutes beforehand, he picked up the ball inside the area and held off the challenges of Bedfont defenders to finish with finesse. 4-1 to Guildford City. The match petered out a little as City knew they were cruising to victory. Nevertheless, Bedfont had a great chance to reduce arrears. Antony Hall managed to pounce on a shot that would have hit the back of the net had it not been for the City keeper. With twenty minutes left Scott Elgar, the younger brother of Danny making an impressive debut, headed towards goal. Lewis in the Bedfont goal made no attempt to gather the ball as it hit the post and a defender scrambled the rebound to touch. Bedfont’s Morgan tried a speculative shot late on that went well wide. A Danny Elgar cross just evaded the heads of everyone in the box after some good work down the left wing. City saw the match out and finished comfortable victors. GUILDFORD CITY: A. Hall; R. McCarry (Jack Guilford 53); C. Knight; S. Cooper; J. Thoroughgood; J. King; S. Elgar (S. Carroway 74); B. Rayner; T. Penson; H. Carnegie; D. Elgar (A. Bridgeman 85) Subs not used: B. Cain; L. Bradnick Booked: S. Cooper BEDFONT: D. Lewis; J. Clarke; R. Sterry; P. Joseph; L. Hind; D. Bennell; D. Johns; J. Mngadi; A. Kpunpamo; G. Benn; L. Harrington Subs: A. Morgan; R. Preedy; L. Coezarck; B. Barton Booked: L. Harrington Referee: M. Carmichael Attendance: 58
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GUILDFORD
returned to winning ways in style with this comprehensive victory over
table-topping North Greenford United. The home side matched their
opponents completely in the first half before putting them to the sword
in the second. Ben Rayner gave City the lead straight after the break
with an easy finish after a nice move down the left wing. Simon Cooper
then headed home a cross a few minutes later before Jack McLeod put the
icing on the cake, firing into an open net after a goalkeeping error. A
Ricky Pither header ignited hopes of a North Greenford recovery but the
home side easily held on for the remainder of the game albeit with
another stupid sending off – this time for Lance Banton-Brown. If a
performance this good doesn’t get the crowds returning to City and
backing our ground bid then nothing will!! 
CITY’S bad run of form
continued with this home defeat to high-flying 
THIS was hardly a classic game and despite the scoreline,
City really did not play that well. Still it was a case of forget the
quality, feel the points as 