AFC Walcountians 0 (0) v (1) 2 Godalming Town – League

Godalming Town produced an impressive away performance to run out 2-0 victors at AFC Walcountians, with goals at the end of each half by Malachi Thomas and Deji Alabi moving the Gs five points clear at the top of the Southern Combination Division One table with three games remaining.

Little more than a month ago the playoff-chasing Counts swept Godalming away in the Division One Challenge Cup semi-final, but today’s showing by Mo Sher’s men was composed, clinical and full of energy, and made it four wins on the trot – with no goals conceded in those matches. Indeed, with Infinity slipping up at home to Selsey, it felt like a significant day in the title race as the season heads for its conclusion.

Sher made one change from the side that saw off Oakwood on Saturday, with Thomas replacing James Frudd in the front three. Godalming started with vigour and should have taken an early lead merely 20 seconds in, when Kieran Campbell sliced wide from close range after David Poorer parried a Mark Soares effort.

Sitting just outside the playoff places before kick-off, the hosts showed some of their quality during a competitive first half. In the 10th minute, former G Ben Beauchop got in behind the visiting backline, but Stephen Douglas smothered the ball before any real danger occurred.

Godalming went straight down the other end and took advantage of an overload down the left-hand side, with Cam Edwin exchanging passes with Thomas before rifling in a shot that Poorer tipped wide at full stretch. Soares blazed over two minutes later as Godalming asserted their authority during the opening exchanges.

In the 20th minute, Rob Parrott nodded a Thomas free-kick wide, before Poorer was called into action again, this time diving to turn Campbell’s fine 30-yard strike behind. From the resulting corner, Thomas shot over after Edwin’s header was blocked by the Counts defence.

A tidy Godalming move in the 35th minute tested Poorer once more, with Soares and Tayo Adekayo combining down the right and playing in Thomas, whose clever footwork allowed him to lay the ball off to Campbell, but the midfielder fired straight at the Walcountians stopper.

Douglas saved from Dakara Wifa at the other end, but Godalming were rewarded for their first-half pressure when they took the lead in the 44th minute. An excellent raking pass from Edwin found Thomas out on the left, and he played a neat one-two with Malik Shittu before calmly finishing low into the far corner of Poorer’s goal.

AFC Walcountians started the second-half brightly and nearly equalised in the 51st minute. Chike Ejezie and Beauchop combined down the left which created an opening for Jacob Sewell, but Douglas – who has been particularly impressive during the last few games – produced a magnificent reaction save to deny the striker.

The Gs were forced into a substitution midway through the second-half when Adekayo was taken off having failed to shrug off a knock. The Godalming press – which had been more or less spot on – dipped a fraction as a result. However, AFC Walcountians failed to build any momentum and indeed it was the visitors who continued to create the better chances, including a Thomas shot over the bar with 10 minutes left.

Thomas was replaced by Alabi shortly after and it didn’t take long for the substitute to make a crucial contribution as the game entered stoppage time. A long ball forward by Nana Afful was well brought down by the forward, and he skurried towards goal before lashing a trademark finish into the bottom corner to the delight of the visiting Godalming contingent (who must have made up the vast majority of the crowd of 110).

The Gs could relax now and, aside Joe Wornham rocketing an effort over the bar for the hosts deep into added time, it was a trouble-free end to a game that, on paper, had represented a major test of Godalming’s title ambitions.

With news filtering through at full-time that Infinity had fallen to defeat at home to Selsey, the permutations became clear – if Godalming win two of their remaining three matches, they will be champions and achieved promotion back to Step 5. There is plenty of work still to do, though, and two of those matches are tricky away ties, starting with the short visit to Loxwood on Saturday 11 April.

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