Chesham United FC

Chesham United Man of the Match: Mark Kirby

Chesham put the disappointment of last week’s defeat behind them with a narrow victory. On a ground where they had conceded nine goals in their two previous visits, Chesham took an early lead and rarely looked like losing it, although the home team missed a penalty of their own after an extraordinary incident in the second half. Jake Cass made his first start for the club after recovering from injury, replacing the injured Bradley Clayton. The only other change saw T’Sharne Gallimore swap places with Billy Adcock, who dropped to the bench alongside 19-year-old striker Tyrone Lewthwaite who joined the club the day before.  is low shot somehow beat the wall but came back off the post.

The first major incident came in the ninth minute and led to the game’s only goal.  As the ball was pumped forward into the home area Jake Cass battled for possession with Nick Rhodes with his back to goal, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.  The reason for the decision was not immediately clear but some fans claim that Rhodes had hold of Cass’s shirt as the ball was played in.  Cass himself buried the spot kick to give Chesham the lead.  Yate came back with Craig Norman setting up Olly Mehew, but Sam Beasant came out to block and eventually dived on the ball after Lewis Rolfe won possession.  Chesham were playing some neat football, and on the half-hour Eoin Casey headed a Lewis Rolfe cross back across goal to Dave Pearce but his effort was blocked.  Ten minutes later Sam Jenkins broke forward and Dave Pearce laid the ball off to Jake Cass, who blazed over the bar from a good position.  Towards half-time the home side had a spell of pressure and Sam Beasant dived to turn a drive from Olly Mehew round the post, then the resulting corner bounced around in the area before ending up in Beasant’s arms.  However Chesham came back and T’Sharne Gallimore’s through ball found Jake Cass, who was floored in the area by a despairing tackle but the referee only gave a corner.

Early in the second half Dernell Wynter’s lay-off set up Jake Cass, whose powerful drive was parried by home keeper Andrew Hannah at the expense of a corner.  Shortly afterwards Cass ran across the home area to work a shooting chance, but Hannah dived to tip his effort round the post.  The home side rarely threatened but the game’s major talking point came in the 72^nd minute.  Liam Angel’s corner led to a mad scramble in the Chesham box and the ball was twice cleared off the line before being hacked away.  However the referee awarded the home team a penalty, apparently because of a handball by a defender on the line.  This enraged the Chesham players who pointed out that the player who had handled was Sam Beasant, but after consulting with his linesman the referee stuck to his original decision.  However Olly Mehew saved the referee’s blushes with a weak penalty that was easily saved by Beasant.  Yate threw men forward late on but Chesham’s defence looked solid.  Nick Peare had a long-range shot which was deflected for a corner, then late on Nick Rhodes headed for goal from a Stuart Fleetwood free kick but Sam Beasant saved comfortably.