North Leigh 2-3 Chesham United

Chesham eventually made it through to the next round of the FA Cup, but not without a late scare.  With twenty minutes to go Chesham were 3-1 up and apparently cruising, but a late comeback by North Leigh meant that it took some desperate defending and couple of great saves by Bobby Smith to clinch the win.

 

Although Andy Keepence, Danny Talbot, Kevin Cotton and Dave Fotheringham were all back, there was only one change to the starting line-up, Talbot coming in for Sammy Winston.  There is a substantial slope on the North Leigh pitch and Chesham were playing uphill in the first half.  After a bright start by both sides Chesham took the lead on the quarter-hour, when Danny Burnell had his back to goal on the edge of the home area and was clipped by Stuart Huxley as he tried to turn.  Although contact was minimal and it was the sort of challenge that defenders sometimes get away with, the referee was justified in giving a penalty which Danny Burnell tucked away.  Two minutes later Adam Parker headed home from Danny Talbot's free kick but was flagged offside.

 

North Leigh looked to play a passing game and it paid off when they equalised on 21 minutes.  Christopher Allen was set free down the home right and his cross to the far post was headed goalwards by Mark Simms, Bobby Smith parried but the ball looped up and Simms headed in.  The remainder of the first half saw both sides play attractive football but with little effect until the last minute of the half, when Dom Marsala found space on the left and passed to Darrell Cox who twisted and turned to work a shooting chance and beat keeper Richard Barrett at his near post.

 

Chesham made it 3-1 in the opening minute of the second half, when Steve Obeng blocked a clearance on the left touchline and slipped the ball through to Danny Burnell whose angled shot was parried by Barrett, Darrell Cox winning the race to the loose ball to score.  Dom Marsala's pass found Steve Obeng making one of his trademark runs into the box but Barrett beat away the resulting shot, then Danny Burnell headed over from Danny Talbot's free kick as Chesham took control of the game.  However twenty minutes from time North Leigh went for broke, brought on an extra striker in Mark Dennis and played route one football.  Five minutes after the change Allen's corner was headed down to Andy McCabe whose first-time shot was superbly tipped over by Bobby Smith.  This was the cue for the home team to bombard the Chesham goal and another corner was headed back across goal to Dennis at the near post but Danny Talbot blocked on the line.  North Leigh's pressure paid off when Darrell Cox was dispossessed on the edge of the box and the ball ran to McCabe who scored with an excellent shot into the far top corner of the net.  In the final minute of normal time Dennis headed goalwards but Smith produced another fine save to tip the ball over, then another long ball saw Dennis loop a header over Smith into the net but the effort was disallowed for offside.  The game finished with Chesham content to keep possession in the home half.