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Combined Counties League - Premier Division Match

MATCH REPORT

Chessington & Hook United's venue has never been a comfortable one for Chertsey Town and their visit to Chalky Lane once again proved to be a stern test; things are getting better though! Prior to this season, all visits have ended in defeat but at least that spectre was avoided for the second time in a month even if a last gasp draw had to suffice.
 
Town scrapped through with a successful penalty shoot out a month previous but only 90 minutes were on offer on Saturday's Combined Counties League fixture, a match that had all the familiar hall marks of a typical Chertsey performance. The visitors probably produced twice as many crispy passes as their opponents but Chessington perhaps produced more snap, crackle and pop in shutting down determined attacks.
 
Two players had swapped sides from the previous encounter between the two sides. Chertsey's Mu Maan was as keen in attack as was former Town defender Simon Langley for the host side and both had productive outings. Paul Smith returned to protect the Chertsey sticks, having recovered from a mauling two weeks previous and had the quieter day of the two goalkeepers. He was only called into exceptional action just once after the break when an early cross from the right was almost deflected into the net by Smith's defending colleague Nick Cossar, but lightning reaction saved Chertsey blushes, and probably two points.
 
Chessington came at Chertsey in the early skirmishes but no direct attempt on goal was generated until the 18th minute when Zico Richards struck the ball wide. John Pomroy, determined to get back on the scoring trail 18 minutes later, chipped a ball over the bar from 20 yards. It looked more likely that Chertsey would be the ones to break a barren first half as they took near total control after the half hour but it was the home side that broke through first.
 
Chertsey were pushing up when the ball broke back in the opposite direction and on to the right flank, to be rapidly crossed inside. Possession was not secured and both teams had opportunities to get a grip but the ball eventually fell to Nathan Turner on the edge of the Chertsey box. His shot struck the cross bar then rebounded straight to Darren Smith who cleaned up inside the penalty spot to put his side ahead, completely against the run of play at the time.
 
So Chertsey began the second half for the third successive game one goal down. They came back strongly in the previous two matches to comfortably take each game and it looked like history might repeat itself once more Town took the game to their adversaries in a resolute manner. Off colour Paul Brooker was replaced by Gavin Bolger at the break which helped.
 
Also, attacker Kevin Cooper came of the bench midway through the second period in lieu of midfield Remi Sellers in an effort to maintain play further into Chessington territory, and it was during the last quarter of the game that Chertsey really turned up the heat with a succession of attacks that almost, but not quite, produced a platform to deservedly take all the points. Steve Gibson increasingly created problems on the right flank to deliver a series of telling crosses.
 
Having seen his own side survive the near own goal, he came close to laying on an equaliser but Pomroy's header was ably turned aside by Mark Daniels in the Chessington goal. Keen, or maybe over keen to score against his old club, Mu Maan took two speculative strikes from just inside the box but both went high. Bolger released a fierce prod soon after but a turning defender's shoulder just deflected the ball inches wide.
 
Maan then saw a later poke at goal from close range tipped aside low by the upright by Daniels as Chertsey again broke through. Soon after, Cossar headed the ball narrowly wide from another Gibson cross. Pushed right back, Chessington conceded a free kick just outside their penalty area but although Pomroy's shot at goal missed the defensive wall by inches, it eluded the goal net by the same margin.
 
Injury stops and extended ball retrieval time stretched stoppage time and although the referee accounted for every moment, it looked time was about to run out for Chertsey's efforts, but then Marcus Moody got behind the home defence and before he could inflict proper damage, had his fleeting heels clipped to set up a successfully taken John Pomroy penalty kick.
 
Three more minutes were allocated for play after this equaliser and Chertsey had their 'frequent caller in Chessington & Hook United's penalty area' card stamped again with Cooper trying to beat a last defender and snap a winner. He captured the ball well but his shot was deflected away for a corner to signal the end of a spirited encounter which both sides could gain positive moments, if not all the points.