Chesham United 1-0 Slough Town

[Simon N]

Chesham:

1. Richard Hayward
2. Lewis Laws
3. Sam Ledger (booked 70 mins)
4. Steve Obeng
5. Ollie Adedeji
6. Mark Lambert (booked 36 mins)
7. Dave Fotheringham
8. Steve Wales
9. Leon Archer
10. Chris Bangura (goal 45 mins)
11. Dom Marsala

Subs:
12. Danny Burnell (for Archer 83 mins)
14. Jack Pattison
15. Adam Parker
16. John Kyriacou (for Obeng 80 mins)
17. Danny Talbot (for Marsala 80 mins)


A reshuffled Chesham line-up got back to winning ways against Slough and moved above their opponents in the table. In a disappointing game considering the positions of the two sides in the league, Chesham won with a single goal on the stroke of half-time and kept a clean sheet for the first time in 13 matches.

There were four changes to the starting line-up, two enforced with Darrell Cox again unavailable and Michael Bardle having left the club, plus John Kyriacou and Danny Talbot were dropped to the bench. Into the side came Ollie Adedeji, Steve Obeng, Chris Bangura and Dom Marsala. Slough had only two ex-Chesham players in Simon Sweeney and Steve Sinclair, Nathan Bowden-Haase being suspended following his yellow card in the League Cup game two weeks before. Chesham had an early chance when Sam Ledger’s pass found Leon Archer on the edge of the area who lifted the ball high and wide, then in the fifteenth minute a cross-shot from Dom Marsala was just ahead of the incoming Archer. The game then became a cagey affair with neither side able to make any impression. Slough had their best spell of the match just after the half-hour and Steve Sinclair’s cross was half-cleared to Paul Edgeworth who side-footed wide from a good position. The visitors then had their best chance when Mo Sharif squared the ball from the left and Tommy Hayes seemed to have time to control and shoot but went to hit the ball first time and got only the thinnest of touches as it flew across him. In stoppage time Leon Archer got to the by-line and crossed to Chris Bangura whose effort was blocked by a defender on the line, but in the next minute a neat pass from Steve Wales on the left found Bangura who lifted the ball over keeper Ricky Perks for the game’s only goal.

Early in the second half Wales sent Archer clear but Perks rushed from his goal to block, then Slough defender Graeme Edwards was very fortunate to stay on the pitch after hauling back Archer 30 yards from goal. Perks had to stretch to hold a cross from Wales who then set up Archer for another effort that was blocked. Slough had plenty of the ball in midfield and made a couple of substitutions but never looked like scoring as the game went into another uneventful phase. Eight minutes from time Archer and Bangura set up Steve Wales for a shot but his effort lacked power and Perks was able to save. Chesham looked to have the game won but made sure with plenty of time-wasting by the corner flag as the game drew to a close.