Chesham United FC

Chesham United Man of the Match: Ben Goode

The home fans gave a cheer at the end of this game as they escaped with a point after playing for more than an hour with ten men.  Chesham dominated the game, particularly in the second half, but rarely looked like scoring and could have lost after giving away a silly penalty.  The game might have been different, however, if the referee had not disallowed a perfectly good goal by Eoin Casey in the first half. There was only one change to the Chesham team, Billy Adcock returning in place of Ronny Mfinda.

Chesham made the better start and in the fifth minute Ryan Blake’s shot was saved by home keeper Martin Horsell low to his right.  In the nineteenth minute Horsell, who looked uncertain under the high ball all afternoon, dropped a Dave Pearce corner under pressure from Eoin Casey who tapped in the loose ball.  The referee eventually disallowed the goal after consulting with his linesman, although the video showed there was no interference with the keeper.  Swindon threatened for the first time when Stuart Fleetwood flashed a cross-shot across the goal from the right.  On 29 minutes came the main talking point of the game.  Conor McDonagh and Lewis Rolfe jostled as they chased a through ball, McDonagh lashed out twice catching Rolfe on the back of the head then in the neck and was sent off.  The home fans seemed to think that McDonagh had done nothing wrong and jeered Rolfe for the rest of the game, but McDonagh had raised his arms at an opponent and the decision was justified.

In the second half Chesham began to make the man advantage count.  In the sixth minute a Dave Pearce corner caused problems in the home area and Kieran Murphy and Adam Martin both had shots blocked close to the line.  However five minutes later Chesham gave away a needless penalty, when Ben Goode and Jeanmal Prosper hesitated over a harmless ball into the box and Ryan Campbell stole in only for Goode to bring him down.  However Goode dived to his right to keep out Brad Hooper’s spot kick, and Stuart Fleetwood got to the loose ball but lashed it over the bar.  Chesham continued to dominate and Bradley Clayton found space on the right but his shot was parried by Horsell and Eoin Casey’s follow-up was blocked.  On 77 minutes Dave Pearce’s low cross was cleared away from Jefferson Louis, and Adam Martin chested down the loose ball and shot over from just inside the area.  However that was Chesham’s last chance as the home side saw the game out.