Chesham United FC

Chesham United Man of the Match: Sam Jenkins

Chesham made it through to the third round of the FA Trophy with a second consecutive 3-1 away win. After an hour Chesham looked to be cruising at 2-0 against ten men, but the home side came back and Chesham were hanging on until Dave Pearce’s stoppage-time clincher. There was just one change to the team that beat Weston-super-Mare the previous week, Eoin Casey coming in for Jake Cass who was unavailable.

On Aveley’s artificial pitch Chesham started strongly, and in the third minute a great through ball from Bradley Clayton sent Karl Oliyide clear but home keeper David Hughes raced from his area to block.  Two minutes later Clayton shot over the bar after a corner was cleared, then the home side threatened for the first time but Mitchell Gilbey’s shot flew well over.  In the thirteenth minute Bradley Clayton’s corner cam to Steve Brown at the far post but he could only stab the ball wide.  However three minutes later another Clayton corner again found Brown, whose header back across goal dropped into the net at the near post to give Chesham the lead.  Aveley began to come into the game but were reduced to ten men on 27 minutes, Darelle Russell shown a straight red card for a tackle on Adam Martin that seemed two-footed.  Chesham nearly took advantage four minutes later when Karl Oliyide was again clean through, but could only side-foot past Hughes but also past the post.  Aveley came close when David Knight’s 30-yard free kick flew just over, but Chesham resumed control and Lewis Rolfe’s cross flew just over the head of the unmarked Eoin Casey.

Reece Yorke replaced the injured Kieran Murphy at half-time, but Chesham were still putting on the pressure.  On 56 minutes Karl Oliyide’s fine run to the by-line ended with a pull-back, Bradley Clayton was denied but the ball fell for Zak Joseph to fire home from close range to make iy 2-0.  Chesham eased off and Aveley’s Steve Sheehan headed over from a Freddie Gard corner.  Midway through the half Sam Jenkins set up Karl Oliyide, who ran at the home defence only to shoot high and wide.  On 73 minutes Chesham had a real let-off when sub Emmanuel Ogunrinde headed David Knight’s cross onto the post, and the ball rebounded off Sam Beasant back onto the post before being scrambled away.  Chances were being created at both ends, Ogunrinde just failing to get on the end of Morisi Gerashvili’s cross, then at the other end Sam Jenkins crossed low to Eoin Casey who could only side-foot wide of the near post.  Chesham were not looking in any danger but on 81 minutes Reece Yorke conceded a penalty with a slightly over-physical shove on Ogunrinde.  Freddie Gard blasted the penalty down the middle although Sam Beasant got a hand to it.  Aveley threw everything forward in a late bid for an equaliser, but in the second minute of stoppage time Chesham clinched the win.  Zak Joseph latched on to Sam Beasant’s long clearance, broke forward and drew the keeper before slipping the ball sideways for the overlapping Dave Pearce to net.  A tempestuous encounter ended on a sour note when Sam Beasant collected a high ball only for Steve Sheehan to barge him over and Ogunrinde to kick the ball out of his hands, both men receiving yellow cards.