RYMAN PREMIER DIVISION | Att : 494
Chesham United – 0 Sutton United – 3 [Mark Watson [19] [75], Akrour [87]
A good away win? AND a clean sheet? Somebody wake me up, I think I’m dreaming!
I have to admit I wasn’t too confident of a getting a result, as Chesham isn’t one of our happier hunting grounds. Only one win there in several visits in the league (Including being 3-0 up in 20 minutes last season, only to get a point!!) and our recent form being toilet at best.
What a nice surprise it was to see the boys sweep past our hosts and claim three vital points to keep alive our slim title hopes. Barry Laker steps into centre back to replace the absent Riley (Ah, pace at the back!!) and Skelly returns to his accustomed full back slot.
Both sides started brightly, trying to gain an early advantage. Chesham looked dangerous, with most of their raids hitting our right flank, sneaking between Brooker and Berry. But Howells was on top form again and managed to snuff out the threat. We thought we’d taken the lead after about 10 minutes when Laker stabbed home at the back post form a Dack corner, but the ref disallowed the effort having seen Mark Watsons hand get the flick on. We didn’t have to wait much longer to officially take the lead. A poor clearance by the home defence is played through to Mark Watson who bursts clear and chips the advancing keeper. Another Jimmy Dack corner causes all sorts of problems shortly after, swinging in and striking the base of the far post. Our hosts keep pressing, looking for a way back into the game, continuing their pressure of the Brooker-Berry area of our defence.
Half -Time arrives with Chesham having slightly the better of things. So we head for the bar hoping the U’s can finish the job in the second 45. The second half sees the home side carrying on where they left off with United hitting on the break, trying to add to our tally. Just when it seems that 1-0 is all we’re going to get, a home attack breaks down. Skelly plays an unusually accurate ball wide to Dack who takes the ball first time on his chest, controls it and fires a low cross into the box, straight to the feet of Mark Watson, who then decides he’s got to beat every opposing blayer in the box before blasting the ball into the net past the desperate dive of the last defender on the line. 2-0 up, 15 to play, surely we can’t nause this one up!
Thankfully we don’t. Naz, on as sub, nips onto a through ball, gets past the defender and slides the ball into the far corner. 3-0 with only a couple of minutes left. 3 points to us thank you very much. Steve Watson blows a glorious chance to make it 4 with the last kick of the game, when he blazes wide (Endangering members of the travelling support.) from Mark Watsons low ball to the back post. How he missed, I’ll never know……
The trip back to Sutton for beer and an evening with The Dirty Dogs is made all the better as we discover our lovely neighbous have lost 2-1, further dropping them into the relegation dogfight, at which we shed a tear (of laughter). Strange results abound as St Albans lose 1-0 at Slough and Boreham Wood lose 2-0 at Heybridge!! Sadly Aylesbury nick a 1-0 win at the much loved Bromley to give them a 4 point advantage at the top.
Man of the Match : Mark Watson. 2 goals in a good team performance.
Entertainment Value : 7. Better than some of the crap served up recently.
FIRKIN PUB COUNT : 1. Home base. The Fielder! (Again)