Chesham United FC

Chesham United Man of the Match: Sam Barker

Chesham secured their first win of the season in this FA Cup tie with a previously unbeaten Biggleswade Town.  Boosted by an early goal Chesham played their best football of the season and could have won by a bigger margin. There were a further four changes to the starting line-up, Dejon Noel-Williams making his first start since joining on loan, Adam Martin and Bradley Clayton returning and Sam Barker starting after re-signing for the club during the week.  They replaced Darren Locke (injured), Richard Platt and Oran Swales and Connor Toomey, which meant a further reshuffle with Matt Bevans and Lewis Rolfe in the centre of defence.

After some opening pressure from the visitors, Chesham scored in their first attack in the fifth minute.  Sam Barker broke forward and fired in a shot that was blocked, and the loose ball was seized on by Dejon Noel-Williams who lifted a shot into the roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area.  Biggleswade attempted to get back in the game but Chesham’s makeshift defence was rarely troubled.  The visitors’ best moment came on 26 minutes, when a Josh Urquhart long throw was headed on but the unmarked Jonny McNamara failed to get any power in his header and Alex Tokarczyk saved comfortably.  In the next minute Chesham’s players were convinced that they had scored a second when Dave Pearce’s right-wing corner came to Benji Crilley, whose far-post shot was cleared but the linesman ruled that the ball had not crossed the line.  Biggleswade had one moment of note before half-time, when Peter Clark had a shooting chance but fired straight at Alex Tokarczyk.  In the last minute of normal time Kieron Forbes fouled Bradley Clayton on the edge on the Biggleswade box, but Ben Walster’s shot and his follow-up effort were both blocked by the visitors’ defensive wall.

Early in the second half Chesham twice came close to doubling their lead.  In the third minute after the restart Sam Barker’s through ball saw Ryan Blake outsprint the defence but Sam Donkin turned his effort round the post.  From the resulting corner Dave Pearce’s cross found the head of Benji Crilley, whose header was kept out by a fine flying save from Donkin.  Shortly afterwards Adam Martin seized on a loose ball in the visitors’ area and set up Crilley who fired over the bar.  Chesham were still looking the more likely to score but Ryan Blake’s low cross was just ahead of Dejon Noel-Williams, then Bradley Clayton had a shooting chance on the edge of the area but Donkin dived to his left to save.  Midway through the half Chesham were awarded a free kick on the edge of the visitors’ area, but Donkin produced another great save to keep out Dave Pearce’s effort which seemed destined for the top corner.  However on 74 minutes a Biggleswade clearance was headed out by Lewis Rolfe to Dave Pearce on the left, and Pearce netted with a fine dipping shot into the far top corner of the net giving Donkin no chance.  Biggleswade had created little but on 86 minutes the defence were unable to clear and the ball bounced around before eventually finding its way into the net, Connor Vincent claiming the goal although the ball hit a post and bounced in off Alex Tokarczyk.  In the next minute Matt Ball went for goal from a free kick but shot straight at Tokarczyk, and Chesham saw out the rest of the game to clinch a place in the next round.

Video Highlights below are courtesy of Biggleswade Town.