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Combined Counties League - Premier Division Match

MATCH REPORT

Although not playing as well as might be expected over the past month or two, Chertsey Town have not had the rub of the green and have been punished out of proportion for admittedly mediocre play. Conversely, making your own luck comes from a positive attitude and there was plenty of both on Saturday when an exceptionally bright Chertsey performance swept visitors Wembley aside in their Combined Counties League exchange.

 Prime striker John Pomroy has had scant success of late, having gone, for him, a remarkable eight games without a goal in open play, but was it lady luck that helped to get normal service resumed or pinpoint accuracy? Two goals came from him, and both caught the Wembley woodwork en-route. Whatever the reason, his confident and industrious outing paid dividends in sealling this emphatic victory.

 Establishing a more settled side has also been a factor in Town's recovery. The departure of Kevin Cooper to Chessington & Hook United two weeks ago is proving to be a blessing in disguise. His ability to attract a succession of players to Chertsey Town led, in hindsight, to a lack of continuity and team spirit. Town's previous game commenced with an unchanged line up but a badly cut eye to Luke Muldowney during the week put him out of contention and this facilitated the return of Gareth Graham to the line up after sickness, without disruption.

 Chertsey put an early marker down to indicated that passion and desire was going to a major factor in the game's result. Gavin Bolger came close early on when the ball just a needed an extra touch as it was flicked about the Wembley goalmouth. Movement was almost one way but when play was directed the other way, a lack of belief seemed to exist from the north Londoners with over ambitious passes flying far beyond the influence of their attackers.

 Pomroy was the next to almost find the net with a clipped prod at the ball in another desperate goalmouth gamble but the ball was cleared off the line by a thankful Lions defender. But Chertsey were not to be denied, even if it took until the 20th minute for the lead to be registered. The goal came out of a corner kick, delivered by Steve Gibson on the right. Pomroy met the ball close in with his head and sent it goal wards to leave Berkley Lawrencin with no chance to claw out any retrieval as the leather clipped the underside of the bar as it rocketed over the line.

 Aaron McLeish had a couple of fine chances to add to the score sheet, beginning with a run at the defence in the first half. He gained good position but Lawrencin advanced and blocked off the goal attempt. The same defender was then helpless however, two minutes from the interval when the second Chertsey goal was created in much the same manner as the first, off a corner kick lofted over from the right wing.

 This time 17 year old Jake Rowley powered forward another powerful header, this time unchallenged but from a good ten yards out, that shook the netting with its ferocity to give Chertsey the two goal half time lead they richly deserved. Rowley has quickly established himself in Chertsey's squad hierarchy by swiftly settling into a full back roll, which is still being developed in the successful Under 18s side.

 He only once put a foot wrong but which came to naught during Wembley's vibrant spell immediately after the interval restart. The visitors came out all guns blazing and some pretty stout defending was required. The degree of frailty that has been evident in Town's back line did not materialise but Wembley came close to changing the direction of the contest during their powerplay but a double, point blank range save from Josh Lennie saved the moment, and perhaps the day.

 Wembley still looked very interested after this close call but their effectiveness gradually drained away and it was the home side who was the more menacing. One more goal was scored but twice as many 'should have scored' chances were created. The third goal came off yet another corner kick, this time from the left. A dummy on the edge of the penalty area set up Gibson who rifled in a low strike towards an array of Chertsey and Wembley players.

 Whether Lawrencin or one of his colleagues might have saved the situation is something we will never know for it was Pomroy who got the slightest touch on a ball that was travelling with considerable speed. He diverted it onto the left side upright and saw it sin over the line to create a seriously comfortable 84th minute cushion that might have been moulded earlier when McLeish again used his speed to break through but then got too close to the goalkeeper to be able to create an angle for a telling shot.

 Musa Laden, on late for Bolger, found himself in a similar situation but in trying to tee up a shot on his favoured foot was smothered out of a strike three minutes from time. So with all tension out of the game by then, what potentially looked quite easily should have been a four goal gap was in fact turned into just a two goal advantage for, with literally the last kick of the game, Wembley's Jumbo Mitchell put away a spot kick after Gibson had mistimed a tackle right on the penalty area's extremity during one of Wembley ever increasingly rare attacks.