VT 2-1 Chesham United

[Simon N]

Chesham:

1. Richard Hayward
2. John Kyriacou
3. Sam Ledger
4. Nick Leach
5. Danny Talbot
6. Mark Lambert (booked 62 mins)
7. Dave Fotheringham
8. Steve Wales (goal 70mins)
9. Adam Parker
10. Steve Obeng
11. Dom Marsala

Subs:
12. Darrell Cox (for Obeng 76 mins)
14. Conner Baker
15. Ollie Adedeji
16. Chris Bangura
17. Kevin Cotton (for Fotheringham 82 mins)

After a magnificent win at Farnborough in the previous round, Chesham made a rather tame exit from the League cup on a freezing evening on the outskirts of Southampton. With a depleted attack it looked as if Chesham’s problem might be scoring goals, but in the second half it was the defence that proved the problem, conceding two quick goals and relying on two remarkable saves by Richard Hayward to prevent a rout, before a late but fruitless rally.

There were three changes to the starting line-up, with Leon Archer injured and Chris Bangura and Danny Gudgeon unavailable, although Bangura was on the team sheet as a sub. Adam Parker, Dom Marsala and Steve Obeng came in while Darrell Cox was on the bench after two months away. VT, which stands for Vosper Thornycroft the boat-building company, are in the top half of the south and west division but had lost their previous four games, the most recent being to AFC Hayes at the weekend. In the second minute Danny Talbot’s free kick from wide on the right was brought down by Dom Marsala who hooked the ball over the bar, and Chesham made a bright start but had nothing more to show for it apart from a long-range effort over the bar from Steve Wales. The remainder of the half was fairly even, but with VT only threatening once when Richard Hayward dropped a long throw which led to a scramble in the penalty area, the game was eminently forgettable.

In the eighth minute of the second half the home team took the lead when Marc Diaper’s corner from the home right came to the far post where Byron Mason turned it in from close range. Chesham were stung into life and a low cross from Steve Wales came to Dom Marsala whose shot from just inside the area was parried by home keeper Scott O’Rourke, then Danny Talbot’s corner cleared everyone but Sam Ledger kept the ball alive and found Dave Fotheringham who shot just wide of the far post from the edge of the area. However in the next minute a simple ball into space caught the defence flat-footed and Warren Hunt ran on to slide the ball past Richard Hayward to make it 2-0. Steve Wales then sent Dom Marsala clear who rounded the keeper but took the ball too far wide, but in the next minute Tyronne Bowers’ low cross found Hunt all alone six yards out but Hayward somehow managed to knock the resulting effort over the bar. Chesham looked down and out at this stage but with 20 minutes to go Steve Wales reduced the arrears with a fine 25-yard shot into the top corner. Hayward was again left all alone against Hunt and again managed to knock the ball over when Hunt seemed certain to score, but the rest of the game belonged to Chesham. Danny Talbot’s cross was headed over by Adam Parker, and Darrell Cox and Dom Marsala combined to set up Steve Wales whose shot from the edge of the area was deflected over. Five minutes from time Warren Hunt, who had been booked earlier for a foul on Steve Obeng, led with his elbow in a challenge on Mark Lambert and was shown a second yellow card. Chesham threw everything into attack and the home defence had a few anxious moments, but Chesham’s last chance came and went when a long-range effort from Adam Parker was tipped round the post by O’Rourke.