Isthmian South Central Division 27th April 2022
Chertsey Town 4 v 1 Basingstoke Town Attendance 1109
Where: Alwyns Lane, Chertsey, KT16 9DW
A professional Chertsey team, sees Stoke slip out of the playoffs
With a number of players missing Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this semi-final playoff match was 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Dan Williamson, 3. James Haworth, 4. Rob Sheridan, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Ben Cook, 7. Simon Dunn (Capt), 8. D’Andre Brown, 9. Conor Lynch, 10. Marcio Magalhaes-Nevez, 11. McKoy Palmer.
On the bench:, Tom Bird, Lloyd Snell, Myles Bowman, Anton Rodgers & Daryl Wollers
Match Referee – Adrian Harris
With a very large contingent of Basingstoke fans amongst a huge crowd, our semi-final playoff game got underway with Basingstoke attacking the clubhouse end, and Chertsey attack in the first minute, but the cross from the right-hand side is headed out for a corner. The corner is headed clear.
Still little of note, until the seventh minute when out of nowhere, a mistake at the back allows Chertsey to take advantage and put the ball in the net. Chertsey 1-0 Basingstoke.
Chertsey continue to push forward, but we are able to hold then away from our penalty area.
Stoke’s first attack of note is on 23 minutes as we force back-to-back corners, but Chertsey are able to deal with both.
We move past the half-hour and neither team are able to put any attack of note together.
Marcio’s first start is being hampered by some strong tackling, but he wins a corner in the 33rd minute, the corner has Rob Sheridan getting a head to it and the ball then flies around the penalty area, before Chertsey are able to clear.
Chertsey nearly then double their lead as a cross over to the far right-hand post is hooked back across the face of the goal and we are able to hook the ball away.
Then in the 39th minute we again push forward and win two more corners. The second one has the keeper flapping at the ball at the near post and he pushes it out for another corner. The third corner is headed clear, and Chertsey break and when they come to the edge of the penalty area, the referee gets in the way and Chertsey are given the drop ball, which a Chertsey player clips into our six-yard box, forcing Strudley under pressure to palm the ball away and Chertsey win another corner. Again we are able to deal with it.
The last few minutes are played out and after two minutes of added time, the referee blows the halftime whistle.
Halftime – Chertsey Town 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town
The game gets back underway and Chertsey’s dangerous Magnus Abisogun shows his pace, but his cross is dealt with by Sheridan.
We then have another attack of note as Dunn finds Marcio, down the left who takes the ball down to the byline, but his cross is blocked and then kicked clear.
Chertsey then double their lead as another run by Abisogun, who then sets up another Chertsey forward who curls a shot from ten yards into the far corner of the net. Chertsey 2 – 0 Stoke
Then on 53 minutes, a long through ball to Palmer sees Chertsey’s keeper initially miss the ball, but then sticks a hand out to stop the ball. The referee takes a few seconds then give Nicholas Jupp a straight red card, but it takes the keeper a further two minutes to finally trudge off the pitch. Jupp is replaced by Scott Day in goal. The free-kick just outside the penalty area is wasted as it it hit ten yards over the crossbar.
We then make two changes with To Bird replacing James Haworth & Lloyd Snell replacing D’Andre Brown (57 mins).
We continue to come forward but Chertsey’s defence is smothering most of our possession, but we force another corner, but again the corner kick is easily dealt with.
Then on 64 minutes, a poor pass over to hook Chertsey’s energetic Abisogun, who somehow retrieves the ball and races down to the byline before smashing a shot that Strudley pushes out for a corner. Smart deals with the corner kick.
We are then back on the attack a minute later as Bird, finds Dunn just outside their penalty area, before Dunn slides the ball to Marcio, who takes on his defender and slides the ball inside to Snell whose shot is deflected out for a corner. Again the corner is defended well by Chertsey.
Then as Chertsey break from our possession Smart fouls their player and goes in the book. The free-kick is wasted by Chertsey.
We are then forced in to making a third substitution as Snell has picked up an injury and is replaced by Anton Rodgers (73 mins)
Issues behind the goal not helped by Chertsey’s sub and the replacement keeper do not help the tension of the game, as minutes drift away.
We move into the last ten minutes of the game with still unable to put a shot on the replacement keeper.
We then win another free-kick, but it fails to beat their first defender and they break from the attack down the right again, and the cross is met by a forward whose shot looks certain to make it three, but Strudley makes a superb blocking save.
Ben Cook then goes in the book on 84 minutes.
Chertsey then attack again and it’s a simple finish to make it three.
Then from the kick-off and with most fans still unaware, McKoy Palmer hits a shot from the halfway line that catches the keeper out as it flies over his head and bounces once then goes into the net. GOAL ! Chertsey Town 3 – 1 Basingstoke Town (Palmer 90 mins)
We now head into an expected large amount of injury-time, and we push forward again, but Chertsey put a stop to that and break once again and then make it four (93 mins).
The referee then continues to play another four minutes of added time, before finally blowing the final whistle.
Full-time Score : Chertsey Town 4 v 1 Basingstoke Town
Crossley 7 mins, Ndombe 50 mins Palmer 90 mins
Lodge 89mins Abisogun 93mins
Match Thought’s
With a much depleted side, and against a team that has two or three outstanding players, we never really put any pressure on them until Jupp’s sending off. Even though we worked hard, we rarely troubled their keeper and Palmer’s goal came out of nowhere. A tough loss to take, and disappointing result, as our season ends, but Chertsey were professional at the back and have class in Magnus Abisogun.
Up Next:
We have the North Hants Cup Final against Alresford Town next Thursday evening at Whitchurch Utd fc.
A shame we could not get to the final playoff, but Chertsey looked comfortable for most of the game even when down to ten men.