AFC Uckfield 1 (0) v (2) 5 (FIVE) Godalming Town
(That’s FIVE – just like they spell out on the Teleprinter on the TV)
‘Happy Christmazza’.
It’s the new name for the period of 50 odd hours from kick off Boxing Day to the last fixture of 2024 and celebrates seven goals, six points, two cracking performances both by the squad as a whole and of special note by our Captain, James Mariner.
With all the other commitments at this time of year, a 120-mile round trip isn’t always on for our supporters, players and staff. Nevertheless, the travelling contingent was healthily into double figures and came back well rewarded for the journey. The 16-man squad showed just one change from Boxing Day with Deji Alabi included for Cameron Gyeabour. Positional changes saw Charlie Welch come in at right back for Nana Afful and Louis Lindsay for Mark Soares with both Nana and Mark dropping to the bench. With Ryan O’Sullivan in goal Charlie joined Rob Parrott, Ollie McAleese and Jack Sherwood at the back, Louis on the right teamed with the Mazza, Deji Adeosun and Jonny Miller in midfield, leaving Cam Edwin and Will May up front.
A word about Uckfield before we get into the game itself , a ground with a playing surface looking not unlike our own from the sidelines. Obviously prone to bad weather, the area along the goal line used by the keeper in the warmup had churned up and had ‘match postponed’ written all over it, but all credit to them getting on their first home game in six weeks. Good fast start from Godalming, with Will May inches offside from both of two Jonny Miller early through balls down our left flank. Ollie McAleese crossed to Louis Lindsay, the keeper got up high to keep his effort out but fumbled the ball on the way down and was fortunate to keep hold of it. Two quick Uckfield corners at the other end, Sully getting down well to keep out a shot from the first. Still not five minutes gone and Cam picked up a long ball out of defence and hit a powerful effort which the keeper turned aside for our first corner kick. Rob Parrott got his head to Louis’ corner and as is the nature of these things the keeper gathered and sent the ball out to a runner up-field, the Uckfield effort going across our goal.
Jonny Miller once again played in Will, whose shot was smothered by the Uckfield keeper and on 15 minutes the breakthrough came when Cam picked up a ball from Will, advanced into the area, evading a tackle and fed the ball back to Will for him to score his first goal for the club, 1-0 Gees and deservedly so. Five minutes later and it was 2-0, I can tell you for certain that it started with a cracking Deji effort that beat the keeper but came back off the bar, in the melee so frantic and too fast to name names three goal bound balls were either blocked or saved until the keeper ended it by bringing down Cam, the Ref having no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Mazza took charge and sent the keeper the wrong way for 2-0.
There was total domination by the Gees down the left flank for the next while with some excellent approach work but without any further score to show for it, Will May being particularly unlucky to see his header go over the bar after latching on to a ball over from Louis Lindsay. A challenge from Rob saw him pick up a yellow card, our first in a while, and on the far touchline a little altercation saw Charlie Welch hit the ground like the proverbial sack of potatoes. After the handbags were ‘closed’ amid the confusion it appeared Cam had joined Rob with a yellow along with the home No.15. Richard Keown summed the incident up very vocally and not without risking a card himself ‘let the ref make his own mistakes lads, he’ll make many more’.
2-0 at the whistle, another dreaded scoreline but only because it’s been a long time since we’ve been 2 up at the break.
It’s also been a long time since the scores in the other matches and our league position at the end of the 90 minutes, “if the scores remain the same”’, have been openly discussed among the faithful at half time, a sure sign the glass is fuller not emptier these days. The second half started with Uckfield putting another ball across the face of our goal before we’d woken up. Deji got to the bye line, crossed but couldn’t find the men waiting in the middle and the Uckfield keeper kept out a Cam effort which would surely have sealed the game up. Deji went close on two further occasions and those old doubts were surfacing again. More so on 53 minutes when a ball in from our left hit the bar, rebounded to a forward who also hit the bar, only for the 2nd rebound to be put into the net on the near post, 2-1. Another free kick to Uckfield and another shot across our goal before we got back in the groove and Deji set up Jonny Miller who was unlucky to see his shot come back off the keeper. 62 minutes and Jack and Jonny combined, with the ball going out to Louis who opened his account from the edge of the box by placing the ball home past the goalie and in via the far post for 3-1. Out of the woods? Not for long, a ball seemed to get stuck in our area and the efforts to clear it resulted in a penalty for Uckfield. Time to shine for Sully and he did just that by saving the kick, for the 2nd time this season if I am not mistaken.
More drama as Cam played in Will on goal. The keeper rushed out of the penalty area and saved with his hand. Prompted by his Lino the Ref gave the free kick but surprisingly no red or yellow card for the goalie himself, just one for an outfielder as discussions continued around trying to find the right mud less spot around the ‘D’. The direct free kick was slammed into the net by James Mariner for his 2nd and Godalming’s 4th. Maybe with all the excitement the bench had forgotten the time and with it this season’s rule that substitutions must start on 60 minutes, and it wasn’t until 71 minutes that Conor Stillwell and Nana Afful replaced Louis Lindsay and Jack Sherwood.
Aside from a nasty case of Uckfield appearing to fluff an open goal chance we continued to hold our own until 82 minutes when the remaining three substitutes all joined the fray. The forward line, Cam, Will and Jonny, gave way to Mark Soares, Deji Alabi and Elroy Wealthyland. No problem with that you might think at 4-1 but the words ‘Alfold away’ were heard. (Recap – Last season, 4-0 up, all subs on, drew 4-4 – I’ve just re- read my match report and boy, was I not happy that day!). Anyway, we should have faith, we’re a more resilient team now and anyway the man who that day threatened to ‘to sit in the centre circle with my pants on my head if we lose this one’ wasn’t around for this one.
About this time someone, I can’t quite make out who on my phone, is heard to say, ‘wouldn’t it be funny if Mazza scored a hat trick’. As if? 86 minutes and Elroy was brought down, a little further out than the last effort, and Mazza only puts it away again for 5-1! After such a dominant display and a goal against Dorking what is left to say about this man? The substitutes still wanted to make their mark, and both Nana and Mark found their way down to their respective touchlines and delivered great balls in and Deji Alabi was foiled by the keeper who was just inside his area this time around.
The final whistle, the biggest win, certainly the biggest away win, in a long time. The Lads rightly stepped back to allow Captain Mazza to take centre stage in the line up at the end. Someone was going to catch a whopping soon and it happened to be Uckfield, who played us out of the ground with ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ playing over the Tannoy.
Happy New Year to you all, with much to look forward to in the world of Godalming Town in 2025.
Reigate Priory at home kicks off the New Year that’s 2pm on 4th January.
COYG’s