Chesham United 1-0 Beaconsfield Sycob

[Simon N]

Chesham:

1. Richard Hayward
2. John Kyriacou
3. Sam Ledger
4. Nick Leach
5. Danny Talbot
6. Mark Lambert
7. Dave Fotheringham (goal 41 mins)
8. Steve Wales
9. John Frendo
10. Chris Bangura
11. Steve Obeng

Subs:

12. Kevin Cotton (for Fotheringham 73 mins)
14. Danny Gudgeon (for Obeng 86 mins)
15. Dom Marsala (for Frendo 80 mins)
16. Lewis Laws
17. Liam Farrell


Dave Fotheringham’s 41st-minute goal provided the only highlight of this forgettable encounter. With a punishing schedule of matches and with this game being scheduled in the middle of a run of fixtures against fellow promotion chasers, it was perhaps not surprising that Chesham failed to lift their game. Beaconsfield may have been fourth from bottom but proved well-organised and industrious opponents even though they carried little goal threat.

For the third game running Chesham’s starting line-up and bench were unchanged. Jack Pattison, who joined Chesham briefly on loan earlier in the season, was at right back for Beaconsfield. The attendance was less than half that of Saturday’s game against Hitchin and the atmosphere was subdued for most of the evening. Beaconsfield strung five men across the back and Chesham found it hard to break them down, and the visitors had plenty of possession without looking likely to score. The first effort on goal did not come until the 19th minute when a long cross from the right came to Scott Orphanou at the far post who hooked the ball wide from close range. Shortly afterwards Chesham threatened for the first time when John Frendo’s lay-off sent Steve Obeng clear but a late tackle saved the day for the visitors. Frendo then played a one-two with Steve Wales and burst through but was denied by another last-ditch tackle, but Chesham finally broke through with a goal that was out of keeping with the rest of the game. Steve Wales’s fine diagonal pass was brought down by Dave Fotheringham on the left and stroked past the advancing keeper Mick Weaver into the net.

With the visitors forced to push one of their defenders forward to try and retrieve the game, Chesham enjoyed greater freedom in the second half. After the visitors failed to clear a cross John Frendo teed up Steve Wales who lifted the ball over from the edge of the area, then Chris Bangura’s lay-off set up Frendo for a shot which the keeper did well to parry. Wales’ pull back from the by-line on the right was dummied by both Bangura and Frendo and Dave Fotheringham shot over, then Frendo brought down Steve Wales’ ball in and lobbed the keeper but the ball sailed over the bar. Beaconsfield had not looked like getting back into the game, but fifteen minutes from time Chesham had a real let-off when Craig O’Connor broke clear only to shoot over the top as Richard Hayward came out, the referee awarding a corner although no Chesham player appeared to get a touch. That was the visitors’ last chance as Chesham were content to play out time, and eventually did so without any further alarms.