Chesham United FC

Chesham United Man of the Match: Ben Goode

A late equaliser saved a point for the home side in an entertaining game.  Both sides will feel that they could have won, Walton because they missed a penalty and Chesham because they had three good chances to score a third goal in the last quarter. Jeanmal Prosper returned after missing four matches, and Bradley Clayton started in place of Ryan Blake.  Lewis Rolfe was back as a substitute after injuring himself in the warm-up before the reverse fixture in November.

On Walton’s artificial surface the opening few minutes were fairly quiet, but in the eleventh minute Jack Battie appeared to twist his knee on landing awkwardly after a routine challenge.  It was five minutes before Battie could be stretchered off to be replaced by Kyron Farrell.  Three minutes later the home team took the lead, Dan Bennett netting with a long-range effort that appeared to take a deflection which wrong-footed Ban Goode.  The goal brought the game to life with both sides playing attractive football.  Chesham’s first shot was a long-range effort from Luke Heneghan that home keeper Denzel Gerrar saved comfortably, then at the other end Harry Mills’ shot deflected off Steve Brown for a corner.  Ben Goode then dived to his right to hold a shot from Kyron Farrell, but Chesham came back and a Luke Heneghan corner bounced off a defender and could have gone anywhere but just missed the post.  On 41 minutes a neat build-up on the right created a chance for Jeanmal Prosper to cross to Jefferson Louis, who powered a header into the roof of the net to equalise.  In stoppage time Ben Goode stretched to tip over a long shot from Kyron Farrell.

Early in the second half Ben Goode twice produced smart saves to deny James Ewington, while at the other end Luke Heneghan tried to catch out Gerrar by going for goal from a 35-yard free kick but the keeper fisted the ball away.  Midway through the half Jeanmal Prosper broke into the home area and tried to set up Dave Pearce, but the ball was blocked and Prosper drilled the loose ball into the net off a post.  Three minutes later a long cross from Luke Warner-Eley found Jefferson Louis who headed wide of the far post from a good position.  On 74 minutes Eoin Casey set Ronny Mfinda on the run the middle, and Mfinda sent Bradley Clayton clear to tap the ball past the advancing keeper but wide.  Eight minutes later a home corner was part-cleared, and in the ensuing scramble the ball hit a defender’s arm and the referee gave a penalty although it could hardly be called deliberate.  However James Ewington’s kick was finger-tipped by Goode onto the bar and down but not over the line.  Chesham then had another great chance when Luke Warner-Eley’s fine crossfield pass set up Bradley Clayton, who shot hurriedly from the edge of the area and blazed the ball over the bar.  Chesham were to pay for these misses when Ryheem Sheckleford played a neat one-two and fired past Ben Goode to equalise in the 89^th minute.  In stoppage time Dave Pearce seized on a loose pass inside the Walton half and fired in a shot that beat Gerrar but came back off the post.  However chances were coming at both ends and here was still time for Ben Goode to make another smart save to deny Cole Brown.