Godalming 0 (0) v (0) 0 Selsey
The first game of the 2024-25 season saw a repeat of the last season’s opening fixture with the visit of Selsey to the Bill Kyte Stadium, and a repeat of the scoreline from that one too.
Changes as ever during the close season with a new management team and it feels like a few more comings and goings in the playing staff than we have thankfully been used to in recent seasons. A warm welcome to all of you, old and new and thanks to those who have moved on. With the pre-season games over and the names and mugshots of the ‘chosen ones’ gradually appearing on FA Full Time and our social media this week we have been able to put the new names to the new faces. So, with holiday time in full swing Mo managed to name a full squad of 16 players for this game, with exactly half of them ‘old timers’ and half of them ‘newbies’.
The starting 11 saw Ryan O’Sullivan in goal with Matt Cox and Jack Conroy right and left backs respectively and Jack Sherwood and Ismaila Doumbia, centre backs. James Mariner was back in his place in midfield complete with the captain’s armband and with him were Cam Edwin and Elroy Wealthyland. Upfront Alexander ‘Nana’ Afful was supported by Jason Cotton and Jonny Miller. On the bench were found Chris Welch, James Mansfield, Asa Goodsell, Ollie McAleese and Ollie Ballam.
I digress, but the Godalming Town habit of fielding players whose names start with a ‘J’ continues for 24-25, five for this one on the park and one on the bench, two JC’s and three JM’s, two Jacks and two James’s and isn’t that a Joshua I see lurking in the squad? That’s without having two Ollie’s, a Mazza and a Macca. Spare a thought for us poor scribes listening back to our match notes.
Off we went then, and early doors Jack Conroy produced a long throw from which both Jason Cotton and Cam Edwin had shots charged down. A second Jack (C) long throw gave the Gees their first corner taken by Elroy Wealthyland. A scare back at the other end as a missed tackle appeared to leave a Selsey man through on goal, a combination of keeper and Cam saw the ball cleared Cam being fouled in the process. Mazza played a through ball into Nana Afful’s path, but the Selsey keeper got to it first. He then blocked efforts from Cam and Jonny Miller, the latter after playing a neat looking one-two with Elroy. Ryan made save of the day pushing out a header for a corner with the defence looking a little short of numbers as a cross . There were four further Gees corners in the half, none leading to a goal, but two decent efforts were both pulled up for fouls on the keeper.
A change for the 2nd half, Asa Goodsell replaced Jonny Miller and got himself into the game from the off, feeding a pass through to Nana whose shot was blocked and shooting himself from the edge of the box to force a save from the keeper. Jack (S) then found himself last man at the back but made the tackle when it counted. On the hour mark James Mansfield replaced Jason Cotton and on 75 minutes Ollie McAleese came on for Ismaila Doumbia at centre half. The previous 15 minutes had seen us stave off one threat eventually clearing the ball after three attempts and at the other end good crosses from Matt Cox and Asa finding no one on the end of them. James Mansfield took over corner kicks, forcing a take and a punch from the keeper and with his third Ollie McAleese did his best to put keeper and ball over the line, never seen him do that before! And of the course the Ref would have none of it.
Last 10 minutes and the first of two free kicks given to the Gees 40 yards out. Up went the shout for ‘Jimmy Norman’ and there he was, standing just down from us but on the wrong side of the barrier to help. He’s had injury problems close season, it would be good to see him back in the yellow shirt, even if his name starts with a ‘J’, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. Full time then and it finished as it started at 0-0.
Not the greatest of games but it’s a solid start, and the first one I can remember in a long time without a card being shown to either side. Let’s see where we are after a few more games. We know where we want to be at the end of the season and that’s back in Step 5. Then maybe we can think about playing an FA Cup game on this weekend next year.
Next up is Banstead at Chessington on Tuesday. No pressure lads, but I see they’ve just lost 6-0 to Forest Row today.
COYG’s