Billingshurst 4 (4) v (1) 4 Godalming Town – Div. 1 Cup
(Godalming win 5-6 on penalties)
Godalming Town progressed to the semi-finals of the Southern Combination Football League Division One Challenge Cup thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Billingshurst that followed an astounding game of football, in which the Gs came from 4-0 behind to level.
Mo Sher’s men found themselves four goals down after only 25 minutes but, hot on the heels of the epic comeback victory at Reigate Priory, they demonstrated their powers of recovery once again to improbably equalise deep into stoppage time. The turnaround marks the fourth game out of the last five that Godalming have come from behind to forge a result – and the shootout success means the Gs remain in four cup competitions as we head into December.
Sher made four changes from Saturday’s team, with Cam Edwin, Louis Lindsay, Deji Alabi and Elroy Wealthyland coming into the side, the latter being deployed at full-back. Although little talked up both pre-season and during the course of it so far, Billingshurst – who had to host this match at Horsham’s Fusion Aviation Stadium due to their recurrent pitch issues at Jubilee Fields – are firmly in the title race and their opening half-four performance showcased the Hurst’s credentials, as they blew the Gs away.
Indeed, having flown out of the blocks, it took only five minutes for the hosts to open the scoring. Jack Sizzey-Carter exchanged a neat one-two with Ronnie Reeves on the edge of the box before shooting beyond Stephen Douglas into the far corner for his ninth goal of the season.
Godalming barely had time to catch a breath before Billingshurst extended their lead. A sloppy ball from Ali Haddadji in the middle of the park was seized upon by Morgan Brill, and the full-back played in Matt Hards who hared down on goal before slamming home.
Hards fired over shortly after, as a shellshocked Gs struggled to find their feet. They did manage a first effort on 14 minutes, when Edwin turned and shot wide, but with 20 minutes on the clock Billingshurst made it three. The visitors didn’t clear their lines and, after some nifty footwork from Hards, he crossed low for the onrushing Jordan Stallibrass to side-foot past Douglas.
If the hosts weren’t in dreamland at this point, they were five minutes later, when they added a fourth. Anxious Gs passing in their defensive third resulted in Douglas – who has barely put a foot wrong since claiming the number one jersey – kicking straight to Sizzey-Carter, who needed no second invitation to fire the ball into the back of the net.
Godalming have made it something of a habit to fall behind in matches this season, but the travelling support could barely believe their eyes at this point and it was difficult to see a way back. However, after the extraordinary opening onslaught, the Gs began to settle slightly. If anyone was to provide inspiration it was likely to be Mark Soares, and after the forward shot over in the 27th minute and clipped the bar from a cross in the 31st, he was instrumental in winning a penalty with 38 minutes gone. After an Edwin freekick was spilt by Josh Measor, Soares fired an effort on goal which Stallibrass handled on the line. He was shown a straight red card, and Soares buried the subsequent penalty into the bottom left corner, as he did for his dramatic winner at Reigate.
The faintest whiff of a comeback – and it was ever so faint at this point – was in the air, and Soares and Lindsay both shot wide of the mark as the clock approached half-time. Despite being a man down, Billingshurst still threatened, though, and in injury time the dangerous Ronnie Reeves saw an effort deflect off Elliot Creely and spin narrowly wide.
Sher made a triple substitution at half-time. Off came Haddadji, Wealthyland and Alabi, with Deji Adeosun, Jonny Miller and Will May replacing them. These changes, plus the switching of flanks for Sam Fernley and of course the hosts’ reduction in players, began to change the flow of the game.
Tayo Adekoya and May both went close, before Godalming clawed a second goal back on 55 minutes. Edwin won the ball with a strong tackle some 35 yards out and found Soares, who dropped a shoulder before rifling a brilliant 17th goal of the season into the top left corner – a finish that’s becoming something of a trademark.
Godalming’s tails were firmly up now and, just before the hour mark, the unlikely comeback became even more probable. Soares’ corner resulted in a goalmouth melee, with the final, crucial touch seeming to come off Creely.
It’s unusual to see momentum swing in a football game as much as it had tonight, but the Gs were now in control and an equaliser felt almost inevitable. Edwin had a shot saved by Measor and headed over a Fernley cross moments later as the pressure continued.
With 15 minutes to go, a worrying looking injury to Measor halted play for a significant period of time. Thankfully the Billingshurst stopper was able to leave the pitch after receiving treatment, with Ollie Courtney coming on in his place. As a result of the delay, there were no fewer than 20 minutes of stoppage time – and it was in the 11th of these that Godalming completed a quite extraordinary comeback.
A good drive and pass from Adeosun found Adekayo, who beat two Hurst defenders before firing into the roof of the net – a fine goal. After half an hour of this match such a scoreline felt near impossible, but at this point the feeling was that Godalming would be disappointed to not nick it before full-time.
That said, 10-man Billingshurst still offered a threat, especially with the Gs playing so high at this stage. A long ball from Reeves saw substitute Tom Edwards outpace Joe Moriarty, but Douglas was quick off his line to make the save.
The chance to win it for Godalming game with one minute of stoppage time remaining. Not long on the pitch, Danilo Carvalho – one of the standouts for the under-23s this season and making his second first-team appearance – broke down the left and was only denied by a splendid save by Courtney. The rebound fell to May, whose effort was blocked on the line, before Soares saw his follow up also cleared in dramatic fashion.
Shortly after, the referee blew for full-time. It had been a breath-taking game and it seemed a shame it had to be settled on penalties. Billingshurst took the first kick, with Reeves converting. Courtney saved Godalming’s first from Soares, but May, Creely, Moriaty and Carvalho all converted and, with Douglas denying Luke Brodie, it went to sudden death. After Matt Rendell scored, James Mariner rolled back the years to keep Godalming alive. Prill then stepped up and blazed over, giving skipper Edwin the opportunity to send the Gs through – which he did, confidently firing past Courtney.
A huge amount of credit must be given to Godalming for their persistence and resilience. They looked dead and buried at one stage, but kept working and somehow pulled a most unlikely cup progression out of the bag. That said, Sher will be keen to stop the leakage which has begun to seep through a little – in the 10 games since the start of October, Godalming have averaged 1.5 goals conceded per game – though injuries and suspensions have not helped in this department.
The Gs will face the winners of the quarter-final between Arundel and AFC Walcountians in the last four. Only three league games remain in 2025, starting with the visit of Dorking Wanderers B to Wey Court on Saturday, before the eagerly anticipated local derby at Guildford City on Wednesday 3 December in the Southern Combination Challenge Cup first round.