MATCH REPORT

Last season’s FA Vase thrashing at Deal Town was avenged in this term’s FA Cup replay with Chertsey Town narrowly overcoming their East Kent opponents in a game that had remarkable similarities to the original game at Alwyns Lane. Darren Dobinson and Wayne Noad returned to the side, replacing the injured Anthony Vine and John Hamsher.
 
The style of the game mirrored much of the previous weekend with Deal trying to impose themselves as a physical force and ourselves with football. It made the going hard and adversely affected the game as a spectacle.
 
John Pomroy had a couple of early stabs at goal as both sides threw a lot of energy in cancelling each other out well away from each team’s goal. Paul Brooker again combined well with Darren Dobinson in forward movement but it was the home side who, in releasing long balls towards our penalty area, threatened the most in the first half but without creating great danger despite winning a string of corner kicks.
 
They had most success in these dead ball situations but were never able to turn the ball in from the numerous crosses. Chertsey won just two corners during this period. Leon Johnson had the best chance to break through but fired wide..
 
It took until after the break for a goal to be scored and that put the home side ahead on 49 minutes. A free kick was delivered into the Chertsey Town box. Marcus Moody blocked the ball on the goal line and it seemed to have been cleared at first but never really went away and in a goalmouth scramble, Roy Godden put the ball away.
 
The goal put life into Deal’s play but they always looked vulnerable to Chertsey advances but it was not until Kevin Cooper came on that they made this count. He crossed the ball in from the left where Luke Muldowney headed the ball home, over the goalkeeper.
 
This 59h minute equaliser decisively put the momentum in Chertsey's direction. John Pomroy skied the ball over the bar from point blank range in a vain attempt at an equaliser but the ball was eventually planted into the back of the Deal net soon after with Kevin Cooper scoring his best goal since rejoining the club, by guiding the ball into a gap after persistent approach work on the left flank for an 83 minute lead.
 
The Chertsey goal further invigorated their play and they managed to avoid the mistake of complacency seen in the first encounter by not allowing the home side to equalise again and with the ball more often being shielded in the corners of the park instead of rash attacking open play, the final result was never really in danger of being challenged.

Home Team:

Chertsey Town Team:
Dave Tidy, Steve Gibson, Marcus Moody, Wayne Noad, Simon Langley, Paul Brooker, Lee O'Leary
John Pomroy, Darren Dobinson, Leon Johnson.
Used subs: Kris chin, Kevin Cooper.
Unused: Paul Bartholomew, Musa Ladan