Godalming Town 2 (1) v (0) 1 Forest Row

After playing the top side away last Saturday the fixture gods decided it was to be followed by the visit of second placed Forest Row to the Bill Kyte Stadium this weekend. On the pitch Ryan O’Sullivan was again between the sticks and the back four comprised Nana Afful, Rob Parrott, Ollie McAleese and Malik Shittu.
James Mariner, with the captain’s armband, sat in front of them in a midfield with Mark Soares, Deji Adeosun and Jonny Miller. Cameron Edwin was up front alongside Shiloh Ndiulor. We couldn’t recall seeing Shi, Mo’s ‘Box to Box’ player, starting in the forward line but to see how that turned out you will have to keep reading to the very end. With some of the walking wounded and suspended taking a turn as spectators around the ground there were four players on the bench: Charlie Welch, Louis Lindsay, James Mansfield and Elroy Wealthyland.

Forest Row’s passive start belied their position in the league as Cam won an early corner followed by Jonny Miller having a chance that, in retrospect, he probably wishes he’d hit with more venom as it was cleared to the touchline. In the next move Mazza set up Deji who shot over the bar. A flailing fall to ground by the Forest Row 11 was seen as a foul by our Ref who presented them with a free kick on the edge of the area. From the kick Ryan made a fine save pushing the ball over the bar. 15 minutes in and Jonny laid the ball into Mark Soares who was so unlucky to see his shot come off the near post. Mazza’s header to Cam saw Mark called offside from the pass. It was an open game with the Gees holding the upper hand and as the half hour clocked up somehow the chance of the game went begging when Mark bore down on goal and keeper, opted to pass rather than shoot and Cam’s effort somehow hit either post or keeper and away to safety.

The last 15 minutes of the half saw Shi twice called offside, picking up passes from Jonny Miller, and two Gees corner kicks, both won by Shi, which were penalised for fouls in the box. Forest Row won a corner from a deflected shot and as Ollie McAleese brought the ball away, a foul on him saw the first yellow card of the game given to the visitors. Deji and Shi combined to set up Mark for another chance that the keeper got to first. The clock had passed 45 minutes when another corner was won by Cam, latching on to Nana’s cross from the by-line following a fine pass from Mark Soares. The head of Mazza seemed to get to the ball first, touching it on to the head of Ollie McAleese who nodded it home between post and bar. The half time whistle didn’t allow much of a restart, 1-0 Gees, deservedly so and 3-0 wouldn’t have looked out of place.

The same eleven came back for the second half, which opened with two Godalming corners won by Mark and Nana. A Forest Row effort went well wide of goal, it wasn’t really nearer the new floodlight pylon than the post, but it gives me a chance to mention that the pylon is indeed now in place; steady work and progress on that front. Ollie cleared a corner to Deji who played a one-two with Mark, Cam ending the move by winning a corner at the other end. Ryan was on hand again to punch away a deep cross into his area. Ollie was harshly penalised for a challenge that gave Forest Row an almost identical free kick on the edge of the area to that seen in the previous half, the kick not progressing past the wall. It would be harsh to say the Gees were sitting back but with 75 minutes gone Forest Row were coming into the game. They equalized when a cross from our left wasn’t dealt with in the box, the ball coming free to an unmarked player on the far post.

Rob Parrott picked up a yellow card, breaking up a move in the middle of the park and surprisingly there had been no signs of movement on the bench with now less than 10 minutes remaining, until James Mansfield was spotted readying himself to come on. A few theatrics from the Forest Row skipper after the Gees were awarded a free kick in the Forest Row half went largely ignored by the Ref and it was Rob who got his head to the free kick, the keeper fortunate to be in the right place to hold on to it. Shi got the ball wide to Mark who had to watch another attempt go wide of the far post. There were 6 minutes left of normal time when Mazza and Jonny Miller were replaced by James Mansfield and Elroy Wealthyland. Cam took a yellow card for clipping the heels of an attacking opponent, their free kick again not getting past the wall.

James Mansfield won a corner kick with the clock over the ninety-minute mark. He took the kick himself but saw the ball cleared by the defence. The Gees came back with a run down the right from Deji; in one of those slow-motion moments Deji’s cross drifted into the box as Shiloh rose in front of the Forest Row keeper to glance the ball over him and into the net. 2-1, not as late as his winner against Mile Oak earlier this season but enough again to bring home three more points. Not an end to the action on the pitch though. Elroy headed for the corner flag leaving Mark Soares on the ground in his wake. The Forest Row Number One dragged Mark to his feet, where to the amazement of the crowd Mark was presented with a yellow card by the Referee. Still time for a final change when Louis Lindsay replaced Deji. James Mansfield teed up Shiloh for another effort which rebounded and was dispatched up field. Cam couldn’t resist stopping the Forest Row attack and the Referee couldn’t resist giving him a second yellow card. With 7 minutes extra played, a poor kick by the keeper had three Gees chasing it down unopposed for a third goal; alarmed by that prospect the ref blew the final whistle.

10 out of 10 for effort and entertainment and we keep up the pressure in the league.
No rest for the wicked: next it’s away to Worthing United, one of the chasing pack on Tuesday, a 7.45 ko.

COYG’s