Malvern Town 1-4 Chesham United

A Danny Burnell hat-trick got Chesham back to winning ways.  Malvern may be in familiar territory at the bottom of the table, but they are a much-improved side and the final margin was hard on them.  However Chesham were the better team for long periods and were well worth the win, with the front two of Burnell and Cox showing a welcome return to form.

There were three changes to the team with Nick Leach and Darrell Cox returning from suspension, and David Hicks back after the club agreed an extension to his loan period.  Max Howell, Kevin Cotton and Garry Sippetts made way giving Chesham a very strong bench.  Dom Marsala was fit enough to start after being carried off on Tuesday but was not able to last the ninety minutes.   Malvern, who won their first home game of the season on Tuesday, had a familiar looking strike force of Wesley Joyce, well-known to Chesham fans after his appearance in the away game against Evesham last season, and Shane Gill who scored for Stourport against Chesham in November.  In the early stages Malvern had the most possession but all their balls into the area were comfortably dealt with by Michael Underwood.  Chesham took the lead in the fifteenth minute, when a break down the left ended with a clearance that rebounded off Dom Marsala across goal to Danny Burnell who controlled and scored with a low left-foot shot on the turn.  In the next minute home keeper Craig Humphries, whose shirt was a remarkably similar colour to those of his team-mates, rushed out of his goal to clear only to hit the ball straight to Darrell Cox whose attempted chip went wide as the home defence got back to cover.

Chesham went on to dominate the next fifteen minutes and from Dave Fotheringham's cross Danny Burnell had a shot blocked and Darrell Cox was just beaten to the loose ball at the far post.  The resulting corner was swung in by Danny Talbot and Humphries tipped over, then shortly afterwards John Kyriacou and Cox both had shots blocked and the ball ran to Danny Burnell but Humphries spread himself to save.  On the half-hour another Cox effort was blocked and the ball ran to Danny Talbot whose shot produced a fine reaction save from Humphries.   However Chesham were to pay for not making more of these chances when Malvern equalised after 35 minutes, when a speculative shot from Anthony Smith rebounded to Dane Aldington on the edge of the area and he shot low into the corner of the net.  Late in the half Chesham threatened again when Darrell Cox beat Humphries to a long ball from Dom Marsala and chipped over the keeper but Ben Stanford got back to scoop the ball off the line.

In the sixth minute of the second half Malvern's defence failed to clear under pressure from Burnell and Cox and the ball came to Danny Talbot whose shot produced another smart save from Humphries, but Malvern were still in the game and Shane Gill crossed from the right but the diminutive Jamie Hyde could only head over the bar.  Just after the hour mark a good Chesham move saw Darrell Cox lay the ball into the path of Josh Cooper, who had only just replaced Marsala, who rolled the ball past Humphries but just wide of the goal.  However in the next minute Danny Burnell won the ball in the middle of the Malvern half, lobbed over a defender and slid the ball past the advancing Humphries to restore Chesham's lead.  Malvern tried to claim that Burnell was offside, that Cox was offside or that Cox had obstructed a defender, but none of the claims seemed justifiable.  The home team were still pressing but Michael Underwood was rarely troubled, and Chesham nearly made the game safe when a long cross from Danny Talbot came to Danny Burnell at the far post but Humphries again blocked.  However five minutes from time Burnell's through ball sent Dave Fotheringham clear and he rounded the keeper but was brought down as he went to tap in to the net.  Humphries was let off with a yellow card and Danny Burnell rolled the penalty home to complete his hat-trick and take his personal tally to 11 goals in four games against Malvern.  Burnell was then substituted but in stoppage time Chesham became the first team to score four goals on Malvern's ground this season, when Andy Keepence's throw was back-heeled by Leon Archer into the path of fellow sub Garry Sippetts who ran on to score from close range.

Simon Newbury

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