Evo-Stick South Premier Division South Tuesday 19th February 2019
Chesham Utd 2 v 1 Basingstoke Town Attendance 252
Looking at our weekly line-ups it appears it is the numbers games on Countdown. Rachell Riley says ‘Ok Martin it’s your turn for the numbers’ Martin, ‘Ok Rachel, I will have one from the top row (the keeper) two from the bottom (that’s defenders Stow & Gerrard) and eight others from anywhere please Rachel. ‘Ok Martin, you have Argent, Smart Deadfield… Ooh Wakely this week and Kian Duncan’ sorry no Collier etc
The actual following line-up was; 1.Tom McGill 2. Dean Stow 3. Rob Gerrard 4.Michael Atkinson 5. Kraig Noel-McLeod 6. Jack Wakely 7. Sam Smart 8. Kian Duncan 9. Sam Argent 10. Sam Deadfield 11. Harry Pearse
On the bench; 12. A. Harris 14. Orvis 15. Hunt 16. Akers
With Basingstoke looking for their 4th win in five games the game gets underway and the first few chances are created by the home side. Firstly on 3 mins the Generals win a free-kick down the right wing after a Gerrard handball. The cross deep into the box is scrambled away.
They then win back-to-back corners on 5 mins and both are dealt with by McGill. The first corner ends with a shot saved by McGill. The second again cause more panic and ends with McGill diving on the ball in the 6-yard area.
We have simply hardly got over the halfway line and we go down 1-0 as another cross down our left deep into the goalmouth, seems to allude any form of defensive tackle and the ball falls to David Pearce who hammers it across past McGill into the net.
The shouting and screaming by Chesham players has started already, and the creeping around the referee has also started but their No.4 has been spoken to by the ref.
On 18 mins we then create our first real attack of the game, after Smart receives the ball down the right he cuts across the pitch and slide the ball to Pearce down the left wing, he then cuts inside and passes to Argent on the edge of the box, he takes three small touches and then passes the ball back to Duncan, who side foots a shot that has the keeper beaten all-end-up, but it hits the corner of the crossbar and post and flies clear.
We then two minutes later create another half chance, as further good work by Pearse who sends in a cross, not sure who gets the touch on it and the keeper dives sown low to the far post and just manages to push it out for a corner. The corner like many tonight is wasted as it doesn’t beat the first defender.
However, the next 5 mins neither team creates a real attempt on goal, but it becomes more a battle of our much their players and their bench can influence the referee.
Then on 28 mins they create another chance out of what seems nothing after we seem to lose the ball in midfield and they break down our right, the cross comes across and a low shot forces a save out of McGill who pushes it around the near post. The corner comes in and we are able to scramble it clear.
Stokes next half chance comes on 32 mins, after we win a free-kick in our own half as the first player in the book tonight is Chesham’s No.10. The home crowd don’t like that. Anyway from the free-kick which is passed out to the left and a good passing movement between Gerrard and Deadfield allows Gerrard to put a cross into the far post, where a diving Pearse just fails to get his head on the ball.
Chesham create the next attack on 36 mins but again it ends with another good save by McGill from a shot on the edge of the box.
The referee still under constant shouts to give the home side every tackle challenge, surprisingly gives us a free-kick down the left on 43 mins. The kick by Smart cross evades the outstretched foot of Argent and is well held by the keeper 2yds out from his line.
The ref blows for half-time and the small group of local idiots behind the small group of Stoke fans here tonight, give us a few paedo chants and verbals as we head off down the far end of the ground.
The second-half gets underway with us down by a goal and the same idiots, including one of them who appears to be a steward for one minute then takes his yellow jacket off are back down our end.
The game again has started fairly quietly as no team creates a chance of not until 55 mins when they break and force another shot that McGill has to push away and we scramble it clear. But after further poor passing by us they are back on it and we have to give away a corner down the right. The corner is well caught in mid-air by McGill.
The screaming and play-acting has returned, again whilst our players seem deathly quiet.
McGill is forced to make another save after a powerful shot from 35 yds, as he tips it over the bar. The corner seems to cause more panic and it is headed just wide of the far post.
On 58 mins it looks like they doubled their lead, but somehow the Chesham forward heads it wide from two yards out.
Then on 59 mins, against the run of play we force the ball down the left. Gerrard who seems to be playing more left wing back role in the second-half, gathers the ball and takes it down the wing, he then sends in a cross which takes a wicked deflection off his defender the ball flies into the 6yds line where the defender and hesitant keeper are beaten by Argent who outjumps the defender and nods it home into an empty net. GOAL Chesham Utd 1 – 1 Basingstoke Town
On 61 mins we create another half-chance as Smart cuts across field and gives the ball to Pearse whose cross is met by Duncan and forces a save out of the keeper.
The smell of dope across the terraces is also joined by more comments from the group of idiots. No stewards seem to notice or take care anyway.
The next few minutes proves why we give games away, as this endless determination to pass it out the back from goal-kicks, puts our own defence under more pressure as Chesham close us down. In the space of 5 minutes we nearly give them a goal as we lose the ball both times McGill has to hack one clear, the other is hurriedly passed back past McGill and out fortunately for a corner. From that corner another what seems free-header goes wide of the far post.
Then on 75 mins we seem to give them a goal, as they chip it over our back line, Stow looks to head it back to the keeper, but the header is short and as McGill comes out a Chesham forward is on it first and takes it around McGill and then takes two touches before sliding it into an empty net and we go behind again.
We almost give them another two minutes later as yet another stupid short pass out from a goal-kick this time short to Deadfield who slips over, with four Chesham players around him break down our right and McGill comes to the rescue again.
Then on 79 mins somehow Chesham can’t force the ball over the line as a shot is blocked on the line and after a few seconds we kick it clear.
We then have another two decent crosses as the first cross by Pearse is palmed away by the keeper who had time to catch it. The second created by Duncan flies to Gerrard at the back post who takes two flicks in the air, before sending a miss-hit shot that flies back out to the wing where it came from, where Stow, sends the ball back in but is kicked clear by the Chesham defence.
On 84 mins another innocuous tackle on their No.7 cause him to roll over and scream at the top of his voice as if he’s been cut in half by a chainsaw. This is shocking but fortunately the ref does not fall for it.
On 86 mins we make our first substitution as Pearse is replaced by Zidane Akers.
We honestly don’t show any signs of getting back into this game as we head into 3 mins of injury-time. Which includes Stow going in the book for hoofing the ball into the stand in frustration.
On 92 mins we force a corner, but the kick from Deadfield is woeful and does not beat the first defender.
The referee plays the allotted time and blows the final whistle.
Final Score: Chesham Utd 2 v 1 Basingstoke Town
Final thought’s – Apart from McGill who was forced to make numerous saves I thought we were poor. The passing was on too many occasions was either short or not close enough to the man receiving the pass.
This incessant passing out from the back again causes us more problems than actual attacking moves.
We were again bullied on the pitch and also noticeably in the dugouts as well.
We didn’t deserve anything from the game tonight and we will need to be better Saturday if we are to get anything out of our visit to Salisbury.
Match Report by Martin French..
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