Chesham United Football Club

Chesham:

 

 

1.    Richard Hayward

 

2.    Michael Sharman

 

3.    Sam Ledger

 

4.    Andy Keepence

        (goal 60 mins)

5.    Kieran Allen-Curry

 

6.    Kevin Cotton

        (booked 69 mins)

7.    Carl Bruce

 

8.    Dave Fotheringham

 

9.    Danny Burnell

        (booked 90 mins)

10.    Adam Parker

        (booked 27 mins)

11.    Dom Marsala

 

 

12.    Danny Talbot

 

14.    Matt Skinner

        (for Keepence 86 mins)

15.    Mark Lambert

        (for Cotton 74 mins)

16.    John Lawford

 

17.    James Beasant

 

 

A solitary goal by Andy Keepence was enough to give Chesham victory in their first away game for five weeks.  This was a dour and featureless encounter thanks largely to the tactics of the home side, whose ambition for most of the game was simply trying to prevent Chesham from playing any football.

 

Chesham fielded an unchanged team for the first time this season.  Woodford's intentions were clear from the start with five men across the back and a lone striker in Avun Jephcott, who scored the winner for Leamington against Chesham back in September.  Nevertheless it was the home side who had the first real chance in the seventh minute when Jae Martin sent Jephcott away to run to the edge of the Chesham area, Richard Hayward blocked the first shot and Jephcott tried again from the loose ball but by then Chesham were back in numbers and Sam Ledger was able to clear.  That was the closest Woodford came to scoring in the whole game as they spent the rest of the first half camped in their own half and inviting Chesham to come at them.  However with space at a premium and the Chesham strikers closely marked the game became a stalemate.  Just after the half-hour mark Adam Parker flicked on Michael Sharman's throw to Dave Fotheringham whose shot was deflected behind, then as half-time approached Parker flicked on Richard Hayward's goal kick to Danny Burnell whose speculative effort flew narrowly wide.

 

As the game wore on it was clear that it needed a goal to bring Woodford out of their shell, and Chesham found a way through with a set-piece goal on the hour.  Andy Keepence moved away from the goalmouth to meet Dom Marsala's right-wing corner and sent in a well-directed header into the top corner over the head of the defender on the line.  The goal had the expected effect as Woodford made a double substitution and changed to four at the back, which opened the game up.  Danny Burnell was only just off target with an overhead kick from Parker's nod-down, then Dave Fotheringham set Burnell up for another first-time shot which rolled just wide.  Burnell then turned provider with a through ball to Dom Marsala who pulled his shot across the face of the goal.  Woodford were forced onto the attack but relied on the hopeful punt forward from the back which Chesham dealt with comfortably.  Shortly before the end Andy Keepence was forced to go off with a hamstring injury, but apart from a couple of scrambles on the edge of the box Chesham were untroubled.