HT 0-0

FT 0-1

Att 197

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The FA Cup - Preliminary Round

MATCH REPORT

‘Move along, there’s nothing to see,’ would hardly have been an apt phrase when the Metropolitan Police visited Chertsey Town for their Friday evening FA Cup tie last week. Despite a lack of goalmouth action in the defence dominated tie, there was still plenty of interest for Town’s biggest home crowd for two years. The Mets shaded the contest by dint of a second half display that was marginally stronger than Chertsey’s first half offering.

The Police were forced into a number of team changes through a spate of injuries. Chertsey made two alterations. A crocked knee excluded Andre DeLisser from the start but he joined the game at the interval to replace struggling Steve Goddard. Dean Inman, on loan from Hampton & Richmond, was also sidelined, but by his substantive club.

This allowed the immediate re-introduction of Steve Gibson and Ollie Treacher after their holiday breaks but Treacher’s fitness stopped him from completing the 90 minutes and was later replaced by Matt Grave. It was not easy to decide which of the four being swapped was the most effective as they all played their part in a tight and quick paced tie.

Chertsey assumed the early initiative and took the game to their opponent’s territory throughout most of the first half. However, invariably the final critical five yard pass to set up a goal attempt repeatedly fell by the wayside and a very alert Police defence quickly shut down Chertsey’s attack. Goal machine John Pomroy was fettled to good effect and was given no room for manoeuvre, but he still maintains his more than a goal a game average for the early season.

Town’s big break came on 36 minutes when Andy Crossley was put away from just inside the enemy’s territory. His speeding evaded police attempts to block the run on goal but his shot, delivered from 20 yards, smacked against the inside of well beaten Mo Maan’s upright, the ball being then taken in charge by a fast retreating posse of defenders.

Met Police displayed more directness after the break with the effectiveness of the respective teams being reversed. However, they gave Liam Stone in goal a bit more to do during this time than was pressed on his opposite number earlier on. Dwain Clarke, for the visitors, forced a full length punched diversion by Stone from an angled free kick.

Chertsey’s defence kept a tight reign in the centre of the park forcing most of the danger to come in from the flanks. Craig Brown, from the right again, put Stone in his toes once more with a delivery that might have been intended as a cross but almost entered the top corner of the net to set up the fateful corner kick.

Chertsey might have won the most corners in the game but only one, but fired in by the visitors, was effective. The 70th minute saw the ball curl in from the left and clatter about in front of the Curfew’s goalmouth. One heavy boot in the confined space would have solved the defending problem but instead Frankie Sawyer got the touch to bundle his side into the narrowest of leads.

Chertsey’s game became scrappy. Poor distribution in both direction and distance thwarted their chances of immediately hitting back. This lapse was solved towards the end with caution being thrown to the wind for a desperate equaliser as composure in their football returned to the host side. Pressure built up in the final ten minutes. A couple of shirt tugging moments might have set up a late penalty kick equalizer but these offences are rarely punished these days, However, the Met’s defence again held firm to put them on the road to Tonbridge, a fortnight hence.

Chertsey: Stone, Gibson, Holley, Treacher, Bamford S, Francis, Goddard, Bamford G, Pomroy, Lock, Crossley. Subs Grave (used), DeLisser (used), Knight, Bamford B, Webb.