HT 1-0

FT 2-0

Att 91

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Combined Counties League - Premier Division Match

MATCH REPORT

In being currently fixed at fifth place in The Combined Counties League table, the spotlight is being kept well away from Chertsey Town and although time may be running out, another solid performance last Saturday against in form Badshot Lea ensured that if and when the leaders do slip, the Alwyns Lane outfit will be in the best place to pounce on a title challenge.

In recording their sixth successive league win, Chertsey Town again showed that they are the form team and highlight the shame that so many silly points were dropped before Christmas. Badshot Lea arrived at Alwyns Lane on the back of a six wins from the last seven games record so were not going to be any slouches, but this was another case of Chertsey rarely looking like a team in trouble.

Only in the first minutes of each half did the visitors look like challenging what was to be Town’s iron grip on the exchange. A debateable moment came after just a few minutes play when Lea’s striker Darren Blake and Town goalkeeper Michael Lidbury clattered into each other after the defender first made contact with a lose ball. The visitors called for a penalty kick but the referee deemed it a fair challenge, however, the forward played no further park, coming off with bruised limbs.

A similar shout at the other end was also turned aside by a referee who was determined to keep the game flowing, and he was generally successful, despite continual appeals throughout the game, mainly from the away bench. That Aaron McLeish potential penalty incident came to nought, as did much of the forwards play as, Paul Brooker aside, delivery from the wings were not penetrating enough, and it was the defending that was allowed to take the plaudits.

It was not expected that full back Steve Gibson would even enter the field of play after being stretchered off the previous midweek at Bookham but not only did he set aside his injury of the day but then put in rock solid tackles and good distribution to further his reputation and that of his defending colleagues after they had such a shaky start to the season.

Although not taking the lead until a minute before the interval, a goal looked very likely ten minutes previously when a defence splitting move set up McLeish on the edge of the Badshot Lea penalty area but his well hit top corner destined shot was tipped over in fine style by Jon Ashwood. The goalkeeper may have done wellat that moment but question marks appeared out of the visitor’s bench when John Pomroy’s swinging free kick from the left touch line was met at only two yards range by Gavin Bamford who stole in from deep to volley Town into the lead.

Badshot Lea came at Chertsey immediately after the break but again the defence stood firm. There is not much that will get past the current back line on this form, even though it was missing Marcus Moody through suspension and Luke Muldowney with his fractured toe. There was one serious lapse though when, having weathered the Lea-side squall, too much space was given during a counter attack but James Hinchin squandered the opportunity by hurriedly firing wide from 15 yards with only Lidbury and his goal in sight.

The lapse was punished on 58 minutes when Chertsey closed the gates on the game with goal number two. A tussle, centrally just out side the Badshot box between Pomroy and his marker, resulted in a shirt tug on the attacker being called by referee Ian Kitchen. A tapped free kick sideways created the gap for Pomroy to fire in low past the truncated defensive wall for his 37th goal of the season in as many games.

The head of Stuart Bamford was again dominant in fending off any sort of aerial challenge against an increasingly confident Chertsey side. Others also sorted out the ground play that the visiting side tried generating but they were just not good enough to overcome the more cohesive home fortifications, to allowed manager Spencer Day to field all three available substitutes as a run out in the final 25 minutes.