Rothwell Town 1-2 Chesham United

[Simon N]

Chesham:

1. Richard Hayward
2. Lewis Laws (goal 45 mins; booked 79 mins)
3. Danny Gudgeon
4. Ollie Adedeji
5. Danny Talbot
6. Mark Lambert
7. Dave Fotheringham
8. Steve Wales (booked 37mins)
9. Danny Burnell
10. Chris Bangura
11. Michael Bardle

Subs:

12. Leon Archer (for Burnell 81 mins; goal 89 mins)
14. John Kyriacou (for Gudgeon 12 mins)
15. Dom Marsala
16. Adam Parker
17. Jack Pattison (for Talbot 71 mins)



Chesham got back to winning ways after their FA Trophy exit with this success against a Rothwell side previously unbeaten in the league. This win looked unlikely after the home team equalised midway through the second half, but Chesham have a knack of scoring late goals - eight in the last ten minutes of matches this season against none conceded.

There were four changes to the starting line-up, with Darrell Cox suspended and Sam Ledger at a wedding, plus John Kyriacou has a niggling injury that needs rest so was on the bench with Leon Archer. They were replaced by fit-again Michael Bardle, Ollie Adedeji, Danny Gudgeon who started in midfield and Chris Bangura. Adam Parker was on the bench as a late replacement for Kevin Cotton who was injured in the warm-up. Chesham were forced into an early change after Gudgeon was elbowed in the ribs by Kevin Byrne, who somehow escaped with only a free kick given against him. After lengthy treatment Gudgeon tried to carry on but was having trouble breathing and was eventually taken to hospital where tests showed nothing worse than severe bruising. John Kyriacou came on with Lewis Laws switching to midfield.

It was clear from early on the game was not going to be a classic, with a hard bumpy pitch and a swirling wind. Chesham played with the wind and the slope in their favour during the first half, but neither side was able to get the ball down and pass it, and the result was an untidy mess of a game. Richard Hayward made one smart save from Byrne but he was flagged offside anyway, and the game went into stoppage time with neither side having a legitimate effort on goal. However in the third extra minute Chesham were awarded a free kick 30 yards out, Danny Talbot’s shot hit the bar and bounced down and John Kyriacou’s header was tipped over by home keeper Tom Cross. In the next minute a strong run down the middle by Danny Burnell ended with a lay-off to Chris Bangura who squared the ball across the edge of the area to Lewis Laws, and Laws’ low shot beat Cross to his right. In a desperate effort to clear Robbie Maddox slid in but only succeeded in knocking the ball into the opposite corner of the net, Rothwell reporting it as an own goal but Laws’ shot seemed to be going in so he should be credited with the goal.

Early in the second half Rothwell’s Brett Darby set up Jon Stevenson whose angled shot flew across goal, but the game soon returned to a dour battle. The home team now had conditions in their favour but never came close to scoring until they equalised midway through the half. Dom Hallows took a corner on the right and played it short to Darby on the edge of the area, and Darby had time to line up a shot that flew into the top corner giving Hayward no chance. Soon afterwards another corner was partially cleared as far as Hallows who shot powerfully but over the bar, but the game seemed to be heading for a dull draw until a late flourish. In the 88th minute a long cross from Michael Bardle was palmed out by Cross to Steve Wales whose first-time shot from ten yards flew just over the bar. In the next minute Wales played in sub Leon Archer who lost his marker, turned and beat Cross with a low shot into the corner of the net. Rothwell threw men forward including the goalkeeper late on, and Richard Hayward had to make two smart saves from a header from Maddox and a shot from Hallows, but Chesham eventually were able to see the game out.