Recap
Chesham failed to score for the first time this season as they ground out a hard-fought draw at Bishops Cleeve. The home side had stunned Torquay in the previous round but Chesham were well prepared and there was rarely any chance of a repeat, as for most of the game there was little chance of a goal at either end. Chesham were without keeper Ben Goode who was at a wedding, so Daniel Jinadu made his debut as a replacement after joining the club last week. Alex Lafleur was back after missing five games so Lewis Rolfe dropped to the bench, and the other changes saw Steve Brown, Jack Connors and Michael Folivi come in for Jack Cawley, T’Sharne Gallimore and Mitchell Weiss.
The home side’s best effort of the game came in the third minute, when defender Matt Bower burst forward and unleashed a long-range effort that beat Daniel Jinadu but came back off the bar. Most of the rest of the game was a battle of two styles, with Bishops Cleeve the more direct while Chesham stuck to their passing game. On 21 minutes Steve Brown attempted to head a long ball back to Jinadu, but Ross Langworthy nipped only to lob the ball wide of the goal. Just before the half-hour mark Alex Lafleur broke away down the left and crossed to Joe Grant whose shot on the turn flew just over. At the other end Isaac Pearce shot just over from outside the area, but Chesham were starting to take the upper hand. Alex Lafleur again broke forward and crossed to Michael Folivi whose shot bounced away off the legs of keeper Lewis Clayton, then in stoppage time Nathan Minhas won the ball on the right and tried to beat Clayton at his near post but shot into the side netting.
Chesham dominated the opening stages of the second half. Jack Connors cut in from the right and shot just wide of the far post, then Avan Jones broke forward and crossed but the ball came back off the far post and was cleared. Jack Connors then set up Michael Folivi but he miscontrolled the ball as Clayton came out, then Avan Jones crossed to Connor Stevens whose header came back off a post. However the home side came back into the game and Aaron Evans-Harriott shot over after a corner was cleared. On 75 minutes Daniel Jinadu was forced to dive to his right to push away a shot from Bryan Stalley, then Matt Liddiard headed over from Evans-Harriott’s corner. Chesham were still well in the game and Joe Grant glanced a header wide from a Jack Connors corner. However Bishops Cleeve had the last moments of note, Evans-Harriott shooting on the turn over the bar, then Ben McLean shot but Daniel Jinadu was able to save comfortably.
Match Report
