Godalming Town 1 (0) v (0) 1 Infinity

‘You can’t win them all,” they say, and to prove it the recent run of League victories came to an end with a draw against Infinity. Work commitments caused Ryan O’Sullivan to be unavailable, but he was readily and ably replaced in goal by Ollie Ballam. Otherwise, it was the side that started last Saturday’s match: Nana Afful, Jack Sherwood, James Mariner (Captain), Rob Parrott, Ollie McAleese, Mark Soares, Deji Adeosun, Will May and Cameron Edwin, but with Jonny Miller coming in for Louis Lindsay. With one change it was the same on the bench too, as Malik Shittu replaced Jonny. He was alongside Deji Alabi, Shiloh Ndiulor, Conor Stillwell and James Mansfield.

The game started rather tamely again but an early, and extremely contentious, free kick awarded against Ollie McAleese seemed to stir the Gees into action. Mark Soares first won and then took a corner which completely evaded the Infinity Goalkeeper, whose blushes were saved as it was headed off the line on the far post by one of his defenders. Jack Sherwood and Jonny Miller combined well but the keeper was first to the ball in front of Jonny. A second Godalming corner came from a long ball by Jack Sherwood to Will May which was headed behind. Infinity managed a shot on goal high above the bar and having been denied one free kick for a clear foul on him, Mark Soares was given a second for the next challenge on him, his ball into the box being turned out for another corner.

Half an hour into the match we saw Deji, Nana and Mark combine, with Mark being called back for a handball as he shot on goal. The next Godalming attack saw Mark turn and deliver an effort narrowly over the bar. We witnessed another curious decision, when a Jonny Miller run down the left ended with an Infinity defender clearing the ball from his goal line into the head of a teammate, the ball rebounding back over the goal line. What looked like an obvious Godalming corner was rewarded with a drop ball. The score was 0-0 at the half time whistle with Godalming finding it hard going but still having carved out the lion’s share of the possession and chances with nothing to show for it.

All back out for the second half with no changes to the lineup. Just 4 minutes in, Mazza found Mark Soares with a long ball that he played into Will May, and Will’s effort was deflected for a corner on the right. Mark took the corner and on the far post the flailing arms of the opposition No.1 couldn’t stop the ball going straight into the net. 1-0 Gees and goal number 10 for our little dynamo, all in what seems like not that many weeks since his arrival. There was very nearly another goal from the next Gees corner, Mazza getting his head to the ball on the far post but seeing it rebound off the top of the bar. Deji Adeosun broke through the Infinity defence but maddeningly put his shot wide. The game was opening up and it began to feel that the Gees needed to stamp some authority in the middle of the park when a foul was called against Cam, which looked highly debatable. Cam obviously agreed with our consensus on the sidelines and saw the Sin Bin for his protest.

65 minutes passed and Jonny Miller came off to be replaced by Shiloh Ndiulor in a like-for-like positional change. Two minutes later, and still down to 10 men, the equalizer came from a free kick somewhat needlessly given away a few yards outside the area. An Infinity player reacted first as the ball was swung past the wall and put it away past Ollie into the net. Recently the team has shown that they have been able to come back from these setbacks but yesterday that wasn’t to be. Will won another corner from Ollie McAleese’s ball forward and from the kick Rob Parrott was a fraction over with his header. With 15 minutes left, Malik Shittu replaced Nana. Five minutes later, Shiloh attacked down the left and cut inside to shoot but saw the ball go agonisingly over the bar. That was the last decent chance for the Gees who tried to shake it up as Conor Stillwell, Deji Alabi and finally James Mansfield replaced Cam, Mazza and Will May respectively. In the final exchanges Ollie Ballam was the busier keeper but at the whistle the score remained 1-1.

A slip up, but the Gees remain very firmly in the mix at the top with seven games to go.

Onwards and upwards then, and the next game is this Tuesday, 7.45pm, at home to Reigate Priory.

It follows two bumper home crowds for Family and Non-League Day. A big thanks to all who came, and we look forward to seeing you again.

Tuesday will also be our first game under the new floodlights, so don’t forget your sunglasses.

(I suppose I should add “and be prepared to be dazzled by the football” but we are very easily pleased, 3 more points will send us all happily on our way home).

COYG’s