Chesham United Football Club

 

Chesham:

 

1.    Richard Hayward

 

2.    Mark Lambert

 

3.    Sam Ledger

 

4.    Jordan Bostock

 

5.    Andy Keepence

      (goal 15 mins)

6.    Danny Talbot

 

7.    Kevin Cotton

 

8.    Adam Parker

 

9.    Danny Burnell

 

10.    Simon Ellis

 

11.    Dom Marsala

        (goal 67 mins)

 

Subs:

 

12.    Sammy Winston

 

14.    Michael Sharman

        (for Ellis 86 mins)

15.    Steve Cawley

        (for Cotton 75 mins)

16.    Phil Turner

 

17.    John Lawford

        (for Parker 81 mins)

 

 

Chesham won the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup for the third time in eight seasons on a warm afternoon at the Meadow.  For much of the afternoon the game was a soporific affair that matched the conditions, but Chesham were comfortable winners with a routine set-piece goal, a bizarre own goal and an excellent strike.

 

Chesham made two changes to the team that beat Dunstable in the last league fixture, Adam Parker returing after suspension in place of Phil Turner, and Dom Marsala starting in place of Dave Fotheringham who had a twisted ankle.  Wycombe's team consisted largely of first and second year professionals including former Chesham loan players Robert Rice and Alan Massey.  The opening 15 minutes were almost totally uneventful until Chesham took the lead with the first effort on goal, when Danny Talbot's right-wing corner was headed in by the unmarked Andy Keepence for Chesham's 100th goal of the season.  Wycombe began to come into the game more as the half wore on, and just after the half-hour Calum Botham's right-wing corner was headed goalwards by defender Tom Cadmore but Danny Talbot cleared off the line.  Shortly afterwards another Botham corner was headed over by Cadmore, but Wycombe created nothing in open play and in the last minute of the half Dom Marsala burst through the middle of the visitors' defence but keeper Jamie Young got down to save his effort.

 

Chesham came back into the game in the second half, but the second goal on 52 minutes was a gift.  Robert Rice passed back to Young who was under no pressure to clear, but the ball took a bad bounce and his attempted clearance completely missed the ball which trickled into the net.  Shortly afterwards Danny Burnell tried to work a shooting chance on the edge of the area and the ball broke to Dom Marsala who lifted the ball over the bar as Young came out.  Wycombe briefly threatened a comeback with a powerful shot from Botham which brought an excellent save from Richard Hayward, but midway through the half Chesham's third goal killed the game.  Burnell was held back by Rice as he burst into the area from the left, and from the resulting free kick Dom Marsala beat Young with a shot across the keeper and into the net off the bar.  Both teams then played out time with the usual rush of substitutions, which included John Lawford coming on for the final nine minutes to bring the curtain down on a distinguished Chesham career.