Chesham United Football Club

 

After a glut of goals the previous week, Chesham's fans witnessed the first goalless draw at the Meadow in nineteen months.  However Chesham were grateful to finish with a point after Barton missed a penalty and had a goal not awarded when the ball seemed to have crossed the line. 

With Adam Parker suspended, Chesham made only one change to the starting line-up, Kieran Allen-Curry coming in for Danny Brown who cannot risk another blow in the face after having dental surgery.  Danny Burnell kept his place after new signing Danny Morgan cried off at the last minute leading to a hurried change to the teamsheet.  With Dean Brennan and David Perpetuini having left for Halesowen, Barton's ex-Chesham contingent were limited to Stuart Maynard and Liam George plus Paul Covington and Tony Fontenelle on the bench, although Garry Sippetts, Steve Dogbe, Ross Lafayette, Matt Niedzwiecki and Mark Boyce are also on their books.  Barton shaded the early stages although Chesham had the game's first chance on nine minutes, when Danny Talbot's corner led to a bout of head tennis before the ball fell to Danny Burnell, whose shot from ten yards was smartly turned away by Martyn Patching in the Barton goal.

That was the closest Chesham came to scoring in the whole game, although Barton hardly threatened either in a featureless first half.  On the half-hour Dean Buss headed over from Frazer Toms' corner, then Toms' free kick was headed on by Adam Cunnington and Leon Hibbert headed over as Richard Hayward challenged.  In the early stages of the second half Maynard crossed from the right and George's shot was blocked, then after 50 minutes Toms won a challenge with Mark Lambert and broke clear, and attempted to go round Richard Hayward who brought the player down for a penalty.  However Chesham had done their homework and knew that Maynard prefers to put his penalties to the keeper's left, so Hayward went the right way but it still needed a strong hand to keep the ball out.

Shortly afterwards former Luton striker Tony Thorpe broke away but was denied by a fine tackle from Dave Fotheringham, then Hayward made a fine save after George headed goalwards from a cross by full-back Stuart Strange.  Twenty minutes from time came the main talking point of the game when Thorpe broke clear, rounded Hayward and rolled the ball towards the empty net only for Kieran Allen-Curry to clear, although the general view afterwards that the ball had crossed the line.  However the linesman on the far side was not in line and probably had his view blocked by Allen-Curry so could not award the goal.  After that let-off Chesham started to get back in the game but Barton's defence held out comfortably.  Late on Patching made a reaction save from a close-range effort from John Lawford but he had already been flagged offside, which was as good as it got.