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Combined Counties League - Premier Division Match

MATCH REPORT

Chertsey Town suffered its hardest knock of the season to date in arriving at Dorking’s Meadowbank ground with the expectation of cruising to three Combined Counties League points but ended up with just ten men on the park and a humiliating defeat. Dorking may have rode their luck on a number of occasions at both ends of the park but a less than convincing Chertsey performance must put into perspective any thoughts of silverware success this term.

Although candidates for Chertsey’s forward line continue to be thin on the ground, with a further depletion being experienced with Gavin Bamford unavailable due to contracting the flu and Andy Crossley injured through a knock on his ankle sustained at the weekend, no end of chances were still created. But it was poor defending that really let the side down.

Dorking, effectively only had four creditable pops at the Chertsey goal but found success three times. Their first was a very well worked goal, their second had a element of luck about it but their third was presented to them through sheer poor defending with back line players virtually spectating as one of three Dorking attackers had the freedom of the Chertsey penalty area to put away what was to become their winning goal.

Again, the Dorking playing surface was hardly conducive to encouraging good football but this did seem to be a barrier to Chertsey as they built up a series of early attacks. Andre DeLisser was particularly effective at this stage and was unlucky when an early shot struck Dan Coote square in the face with the goalkeeper having no idea what happening.

DeLisser had two more early strikes with one going wide and another being well diverted by Coote. Marcus Moody also delivered a worthy but unsuccessful shot. Despite this early pressure, it was Dorking who took a unsuspected 16 minute lead when they won possession deep in Chertsey territory then broke along the right flank at speed. The ball was then cut back to just outside the penalty area when Taylor Mollatt raced in, and without breaking his stride, struck the ball with venom, low into the corner of Liam Stone’s net.

Both Steve Tyson and Jeff Gowland had half chances to hit back with Chertsey still looking the more substantial side but it mattered not one jot as far as the home side was concerned for they recorded another hit, this time on 21 minutes. A corner kick from the right arced over to the far side of the goal where Andy Davidson, under challenge, turned his back on the ball but still managed to get his heel to it and fool the Chertsey defence, despite there being six men within two yards of the goalmouth.

Chertsey came out for the second half still with confident thoughts of overhauling the two goal deficit and were encouraged when Steve Gibson headed the ball against the Dorking cross bar. John Pomroy then had two free kick opportunities from 25 yards. The first went narrowly wide but the second looked to be going into the onion bag before Coote tipped the ball onto the inside of his left upright. It fell to Tyson but got tangled under his feet and Coote was able to recover.

DeLisser was the next to hit the Dorking woodwork, low down from five yards, but the angle was extremely tight and to have got that close must be seen as an achievement. Longer, high balls through the middle, were creating quite a bit of Chertsey potential, but then the territorial gains were ceded as the Dorking defence frequently hacked the ball away. It was almost a siege situation but then Dorking had a break from a long clearance.

The foray produced a long throw from the right. The ball was only partly cleared but as the Chertsey defence seemed unaware that it was still hovering about in a very dangerous central position, Dorking’s Joe Loyza was able to amble up to the ball and thump it home from 15 yards. With then only 25 minutes remaining, time was rapidly running out for a full Chertsey recovery.

They made a good attempt at it and the ball was constantly being fed towards the Chicks’ penalty area. Steve Gibson then again headed the ball against the underside of the Dorking cross bar and again saw the ball rebound back into play and cleared. But he had better luck on 81 minutes after yet another Chertsey corner kick had been awarded.

The ball was knocked about in the air for a few seconds but eventually found Gibson off a short Moody pass. Bouncing it off his chest, the defender come striker then smashed the volley in from the penalty spot. In theory, there was only nine minutes remaining but with Dorking dragging out time, a further six minutes were added. It took only three of those remaining 15 minutes for Town to hit another goal.

Good work wide on the left wing by an otherwise fairly muted Charlie Ide was rewarded by DeLisser who found the smallest of gaps by the near side post with a low strike from eight yards to reduce the gap to just the one. Although even taking one point from the game would bee seen in context of the championship fight as severe set back, a draw under the circumstances would have counted as a physiological boost.

However, the situation went down hill for Chertsey. Sure they continued to press forward and looked highly likely to snatch a third goal, especially when the ball spilled out of Coote’s grasp to run wild for Moody to hit it at an angle but the aim was just that bit too high. Frustration increased in the frantic finish but the game ended on a sour note when Ide was dismissed for comments to the referee who was taking late flack for what, in retrospect was, Chertsey’s own undoing.