Chesham United Football Club

	1	Richard Hayward
	2	Andy Keepence
	3	Matt Skinner
	4	Mark Lambert
	5	Danny Brown
	6	Danny Talbot
	7	Dom Marsala
	8	Adam Parker (Booked 31 mins)
	9	John Lawford
	10	Danny Burnell (Goals 43, 73 mins)
	11	Carl Bruce
	12	Michael Sharman (for Marsala 86 mins)
	14	Kieran Allen-Curry (for Keepence 56 mins)
	15	Tommy Higgins
	16	Steve Cawley (for Lawford 79 mins)
	17	James Beasant

After last Saturday's win and a good performance in a friendly at St Albans in midweek, expectations were high for this visit to the division's bottom club. In the event this was a case of getting the job done rather than putting on the style, although Chesham's cause has not been helped by a flu virus that has been spreading through the squad.

Richard Hayward, who played in the Errea Cup game against Aylesbury, played in goal in place of Luke Blackmore who has been recalled by Hendon, Adam Parker returned to the team in place of the suspended Dave Fotheringham, and Danny Burnell returned from suspension in place of Richard Howard who has left the club. A fourth change was necessary when Sam Ledger arrived at the Meadow and was reckoned to be too ill to travel and sent home, so Matt Skinner came in at left back and James Beasant, who is still short of full match fitness, was on the bench as goalkeeping cover. The opening stages were fairly scrappy, with neither side in control although Chesham's defence looked unusually vulnerable whenever Malvern attacked. Richard Hayward made one good save from a shot from Bryan Craven, then a looping header from Dan Harding-Hall came down off the bar.

Chesham were well in the game but their opening goal on 26 minutes was something of a gift. Danny Talbot took a corner on the right, Malvern keeper Lewis Skyers called for the ball then changed his mind, and as Andy Keepence challenged at the far post the ball hit Harding-Hall and bounced into the net for an own goal. Malvern came back and Craven worked some space in the box and fired in a shot that Hayward fisted away, but Chesham made it 2-0 on 40 minutes when Dom Marsala broke down the right and crossed for Danny Burnell to score with a well-placed header. Three minutes later Malvern reduced the arrears when Joel Skyers crossed low and Tony Farnsworth stole in at the far post to score from six yards.

The early stages of the second half were largely uneventful, with Richard Hayward commanding his area and Malvern rarely threatening. Just before the hour mark Andy Keepence was too ill to carry on, but sub Kieran Allen-Curry gave an assured performance in his place. With twenty minutes left Matt Skinner found John Lawford on the left who crossed low but a defender just got to the ball ahead of Danny Burnell, then Burnell broke clear on the right and his angled shot bounced away off the legs of the keeper. The resulting corner was cleared to the edge of the area to Carl Bruce whose shot was cleared off the line, then the ball bounced around like a pinball in the Malvern six-yard box before an attempted clearance rebounded off Danny Burnell and over the line to make it 3-1.

Chesham were rarely tested after that, although sub Ed Lyons missed a good chance when he side-footed across the goal with only Hayward to beat. Although one or two players were struggling with the effects of the virus in the later stages, Chesham still were looked more likely to add to their tally and Lewis Skyers was forced to block an effort from Danny Burnell after Dom Marsala's cross came off defender Aaron Drake. The game ended with a curious incident when a cross from sub Steve Cawley seemed to be too close to Skyers, but Burnell stole in ahead of the keeper to head into the net, only to be denied his hat-trick goal because the referee had blown for time a split second earlier. Skyers then picked the ball out of the net and kicked it straight at Burnell, which resulted in a brief flare-up with Adam Parker and a booking for the keeper.

Simon Newbury