Billingshurst 2 (0) v (1) 2 Godalming Town (8-7 on penalties) – Division 1 Cup
‘These days midweek selection and availability looks to be quite a challenge’ I wrote after the Cup game at Tadley a fortnight ago. Another Tuesday night Cup game came around and we probably all wondered what side might appear for the Gees this time out. A big surprise was to be in store. I was running late to this game, later than I thought because I was also oblivious to the fact that it turned out to be a 7.30 kick off. The first thing I heard as I passed outside the Dressing Room entering the ground were the dulcet tones of Captain Ollie McAleese telling Nana Afful to get ready as he was now starting – interesting, what could have occurred? The second thing I heard was even more interesting and was the reason for Nana’s promotion from the bench, Ryan had been taken ill in the warm-up and, as we knew Ollie Ballam was unavailable for this game, Rob Parrott was taking the pitch wearing the number 1 shirt.
The scene was now set for a curious game. One in the same competition that saw Rob take the gloves after Ryan’s sending off at home to Seaford two seasons ago and saving a penalty in that shootout; it was also the year when we went on the win the Cup – and against Billingshurst in the Final. Add that to three new faces in the squad and the first five minutes of the game were taken up with working out who was who and who was where.
The consensus was as follows: Rob was where he was and in front of him a defensive three of Darren Xavier, Shi Ndiulor and Ollie McAleese, with Charlie Welch as a right wing back and Nana Afful as a left. A pause to give a warm welcome to our three new signings; to Deji Adeosun, straight into the midfield, and to Jack O’Shea-Bashford and Mark Soares, who were 2 of the 3 joining Elroy Wealthyland on the bench. Deji partnered Conor Stillwell and James Mansfield in the middle of the park with Cam Edwin and Bradley Fangas up front. All this means we have another Deji A and another Jack in the squad, an O’Shea joining an O’ Sullivan and an O’Connor, you can see management don’t have to write match reports.
It’s fair to say that, just like the recent League game against Billingshurst, Godalming dominated the early play. New Deji put in a couple of sound tackles and Cam and Ollie quickly combined to win a corner. As the ball came out Deji played it across to Bradley Fangas who shot just over. The same result befell an Ollie McAleese effort set up for him by James Mansfield. Bradley was again unlucky to see another effort tipped over by the keeper for our second corner. Billingshurst eventually won their first corner as a clearance appeared to come off from our bar, dealt with as Cam cleared. Rob was called into his first real action as he went down to save a shot with his legs. He gathered the resultant corner and cleared the ball up field, Bradley was first to it and played it to Conor Stillwell, positioned just outside the area. Conor smacked the chance home for 1-0 and his first goal for the club, 26 minutes gone.
Rob had very little else to do in the half until injury time when he palmed away a Billingshurst corner and gathered the return cross as it came back in. At the other end there were some encouraging signs of the passing football and build up play between the whole side that we saw much earlier in the season, but it stayed 1-0 at the whistle. A good half of football.
No changes at the turnaround although all eyes were on the opposition keeper for the start of the second half as the curious game got curiouser. Someone, who shall be nameless, announced in the interval that he felt sure he had seen a spot of vaping between the posts in the first half and it didn’t look like he was mistaken. Cam had the first chance of the half after picking up a ball from James. Billingshurst’s first effort was well wide, and Rob came out of the box on their next attack and cleared a ball that wasn’t going to make it to his area. Charlie, Cam and Conor took the ball forward and won a corner, the Ref called a foul on the keeper as the ball came over. A Billingshurst run across the box resulted in a shot which Rob did well to turn around for a corner. The 63rd minute saw Nana give way to Elroy Wealthyland and a long ball from Charlie Welch found the feet of James Mansfield, the keeper got a touch on it for a corner. 5 minutes later James picked up a Billinghurst clearance in their half, drove forward and slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net for 2-0. The second great finish of the day.
Mark Soares replaced Bradley after the goal and before the restart and our final substitution was made with 73 minutes gone when Jack O’Shea-Bashford came on for James Mansfield. Unfortunately, the game turned on a pair of soft free kick decisions given to the home side. On 75 minutes a forward turned on a ball delivered from the first of those free kicks and shot home from the edge of the box; the equalizer came from a 35 yarder through the wall as Darren Xavier was harshly adjudged to have committed a foul picking up a yellow in the process. Rob Parrott had no chance with either goal. Maybe the new Gees’ line up hadn’t had the time to settle as Billingshurst eventually woke up, but they almost won the tie when Mark Soares’ excellent ball into the box was turned on to his own bar by a defender.
Final whistle and to Lottery time. Penalties to decide it with G’s eventually loosing 8-7. Godalming were the better team overall, all praise to Rob Parrott for taking the gloves, but history just didn’t repeat itself this time.
Now we must take this form into the next game, home to Mile Oak, 2pm on Saturday.
COYG’s