Chesham United Football Club

 

Chesham:

 

1.    Richard Hayward

 

2.    Michael Sharman

 

3.    Sam Ledger

 

4.    Matt Skinner

 

5.    Jordan Bostock

 

6.    Andy Keepence

 

7.    Dom Marsala

      (goal 12 mins)

8.    Dave Fotheringham

 

9.    Sammy Winston

       (booked 32 mins, goal 49 mins)

10.    Adam Parker

 

11.    Danny Talbot

 

Subs:

 

12.    Phil Turner

        (for Marsala 75 mins)

14.    Steve Cawley

        (for Skinner 45 mins)

15.    Kieran Allen-Curry

 

16.    John Lawford

        (for Sharman 45 mins, goal 58 mins)

17.    James Beasant

 

 

Chesham moved into the play-off places for the first time this season, and they will surely stay there if they produce many more performances like this.  Stourbridge had roared to the top of the table after a run of 11 wins in 12 games, but Chesham were worthy winners after a bold double substitution at half-time.

 

Chesham made four changes to the starting line-up, with Sam Ledger and Danny Talbot back after suspension, Matt Skinner playing on the left of midfield with Dom Marsala switching to the right, and newcomer Jordan Bostock in the centre of defence after signing from AFC Hornchurch the night before.  Missing were Kevin Cotton (injured), Mark Lambert (holiday), Kieran Allen-Curry and Eugene Ofori who had chosen to play for Heybridge.  Stourbridge are another big and physical side, and in the early stages moved the ball around confidently as befits a team in form.  In the fourth minute the division's top scorer Mark Bellingham broke clear and Richard Hayward rushed out of his area but managed to block the ball with his body.  However a couple of minutes later Bellingham collapsed in obvious agony after an innocuous challenge on the edge of the Chesham box, and was stretchered off and taken to hospital with suspected cruciate ligament damage.

 

While the home team were readjusting Chesham took the lead on 12 minutes.  Sammy Winston ran goalwards before slipping the ball out to the unmarked Dom Marsala on the right, and Marsala cut inside and scored with a low shot inside the near post.  Marsala was not being picked up and in the next minute shot goalwards again but straight at home keeper Mark Shiels.  Stourbridge came back and Ryan Mahon glanced a header wide from a left-wing cross by Damian Whitcombe, then a long throw was headed out to Whitcombe whose first-time shot produced a fine save from Hayward.  However Chesham were still looking dangerous and Andy Keepence headed wide from Adam Parker's cross, then Matt Skinner broke into the home penalty area but he and Winston got in each other's way and the chance was gone.

 

After 33 minutes Stourbridge equalised with a goal that had an element of good fortune about it.  Mark Jones hit a free kick across the goal to Whitcombe on the left edge of the box, and Whitcombe hit the ball first-time on the volley and it looped over Hayward's head into the net at the far post.  If he had meant to score it would have been the goal of the season but Whitcombe's sheepish celebration suggested otherwise.  Stourbridge continued on the attack but deep into stoppage time Sammy Winston picked up Sam Ledger's clearance and lobbed over Shiels but the ball rolled against the post.

 

At half-time Chesham took off Skinner and Sharman and brought on Steve Cawley and John Lawford, and the move paid dividends with a goal in the fourth minute of the second half.  Dom Marsala picked up Adam Parker's flick and played a diagonal ball to Winston who chipped over the advancing keeper and into the net.  Stourbridge's defence were still struggling to cope with the extra attacker and shortly before the hour mark Steve Cawley crossed from the by-line on the left and John Lawford stole in unmarked to head home at the near post.  With a two-goal cushion Chesham sat back and invited Stourbridge to come at them, but without their top scorer the home team carried little threat, and at the other end a great ball by Lawford found Winston but Shiels came out to block at the striker's feet.  Fifteen minutes from time Dom Marsala was forced off after a series of heavy challenges, then Stourbridge brought on Morgan Brookes and within a minute he could have been walking off again after a nasty foul on Dave Fotheringham, but the referee let him off with a yellow card.  Late in the game the home team threw bodies forward but produced only a couple of goalmouth scrambles and a shot from Leon Broadhurst that Hayward turned behind.  Chesham could have added some gloss to the scoreline late on when Winston crossed from the right but the ball ran off John Lawford's thigh and Shiels was able to save.