Godalming Town 2 (1) v (1) 1 Old Carthusians – Surrey Premier Cup
It’s question time: did this game mark the first occasion in the Club’s 75 years that Godalming Town has hosted FA Cup winners in a competitive fixture? I would have thought so but I don’t know. Answers on a postcard please. Even allowing for the floodlight factor a 1.30pm kick off for a cup game on a Saturday seemed to have most of the crowd thinking ‘does the Surrey FA still do extra time’? A quick read of the first paragraph of the programme’s Editorial would have given the answer ‘no – straight to pens’ but none of us thought to look.
On the park Ollie Ballam took over the gloves with Nana Afful and Malik Shittu the starters at full back and Shiloh Ndiulor partnering Rob Parrott at centre back. Present in the midfield we had Mark Soares, Deji Adeosun, Conor Stillwell and Jonny Miller. Forwards Deji Alabi and Cameron Edwin completed the line up.
With games against first and second in the League coming up in the next two games Ollie McAleese dropped to the bench alongside Louis Lindsay, Jack Sherwood, James Mariner and Elroy Wealthyland.
Cam Edwin captained the side.
The visitors came out of the traps much the stronger, evoking comparison with some of the other opponents we’ve struggled against in this competition recently. They managed three attempts at goal in their first attack; fortunately, Rob Parrott snuffed out the first two, the third shot going wide. We had just 6 minutes and the one Gees effort, Deji Alabi being flagged offside after picking up a through ball from Nana Afful, when the powerful No.9 for Old Carthusians advanced toward goal and unleashed a rocket of a shot past Ollie. I’m not sure he stood much chance with that one and we all noted the Carthusian’s low key goal celebration, straight back to business for the re-start. On the plus side, at least we didn’t concede from a corner this time but were still 1-0 down early again. Another Carthusian free kick won them a corner and from it came an effort which flew over the bar way too close for comfort. Godalming were struggling to get going and it wasn’t until 15 minutes had passed that we won our first corner, Mark Soares’s effort being deflected after Conor Stillwell and Cam had combined to give him an opportunity at goal. At the other end an attempted bicycle kick by OC was rewarded with a corner, from which Rob cleared an incoming header from the goal line. Conor prowled forward, and laid the ball off to Deji Alabi, whose shot found the trees behind the goal. Deji was unfortunate not to get a corner from his next effort, set up this time by Jonny Miller.
It clicked on 31 minutes when the same Deji broke down the right and played the ball to Mark Soares. Mark took a turn and a touch and left the keeper with no chance for the equaliser. Back on terms and probably against the run of the play so far. The final 15 minutes of the half saw Godalming in full control of the game. Cam shot over from a Mark Soares corner, and the same two players combined to win another corner in the next attack. The corner came over and both a header and Jonny’s follow-up shot were narrowly cleared by the Carthusian defence. Malik Shittu played the ball to Jonny, his pass set up Deji Alabi who saw his shot come back of the bar, Deji picked up the rebound and his second effort was just over the bar, the best move of the match so far. Just time for a cheeky corner which Cam, all alone, touched out of the segment, Mark doubled back to pick up the ball before the defenders woke up, an ‘A’ for ingenuity, but unfortunately OC broke from it for a rare attack. Cue the half time whistle, 1-1.
No substitutions at the re-start and Godalming continued as they had finished the first half. From good work by Malik, Jonny Miller won an early corner when his shot was deflected by the keeper. The No.1 made another save from Deji Alabi set up by Cam and Mark’s running. OC were being kept quiet, but we did see another thumping effort by their No.9 which Ollie gathered. Mark was flattened in the middle of the park and from the free kick Rob had the ball in the net only to see the offside flag raised. Nana, Deji Adeosun and Jonny swept forward, the final ball going to Malik who shot wide. A Deji Adeosun effort was only just over the bar after a succession of Gees corners. 26 minutes on the clock and the bench made the first change with Louis Lindsay replacing Deji Alabi. Louis got in an early shot and combined well with Jonny when the latter’s shot ended up just passing the post. With 15 minutes remaining Conor gave way to Elroy Wealthyland. Cam connected with a cross, his overhead kick looked a picture, but fortune didn’t smile and another Gee’s effort went the wrong side of the woodwork.
For all their good build-up work and dominance, the Gees’ winner just would not come. If we had any doubts that it was penalties next the last Gees substitutions, made on 88 minutes, appeared to confirm it, as James Mariner and Jack Sherwood came on for Nana and Cam. As it happened James and Jack weren’t called on to take a spot kick as the two minutes gave us both a scare and a goal. Directly after the substitutions, Old Carthusians, who had been very subdued until the last ten minutes of the game, broke up the pitch in numbers; credit to Ollie, grabbing the ball from the foot of their forward to prevent them scoring. Moving into the 90th minute and the Gees won a throw on the left-hand touchline; the ball found its way to the feet of Mark Soares on the edge of the box who repeated his feat of an hour earlier and banged the winner into the net. Cruel for the visitors, but a reflection of the overall balance of the game.
With Cup hopes kept alive for another round we turn to some serious league action coming up, away at Seaford this Saturday and home to Forest Row the next. We know where both sides stand in the league, but Godalming Town have beaten league leaders often enough in the past.
COYG’s