Sheerwater 4 (2) v (1) 1 Godalming Town – League
Saturday saw a lightning start by the Gees. They were one up, should have been two, in three minutes, only for it all to go awry again.
If, like me, you missed the two Bank Holiday fixtures there are a host of new names in the squad to conjure with. The starting line-up read: in goal Stephen Douglas and right to left across the back Nana Afful, Evan Kelly, Elliot Creeley and Taylor Green. Captain Cam Edwin was in front of the defence with Mark Soares, Conor Stillwell, Jonny Miller and Dan Boyden behind Shane Johnson up front. A place on the bench and a welcome to Declan Joyce, who arrived this week. He was joined by the returning and newlywed Deji Alabi, with Angus Mackay, Jav Waugh and Mohamed Amzil el Azouan making up the five.
It had been a 12.30 kick off at Aldershot and Trevor and anyone else who was enroute from that game missed the highlight of the day. In the 3rd minute Dan Boyden split Sheerwater apart with a ball into Shane Johnson. Shane took on a defender and jockeyed left to shoot past the home keeper. It should have been our second goal. Even before and in the very opening minute Jonny Miller had fed Dan on the left and only Cam knows how Dan’s cross wasn’t put away for the opener. In that short space of time, it wasn’t all one way as the two Gees efforts were separated by a powerful long range effort from the home side which fortunately smacked on to the crossbar and out of play. Seven minutes had passed when Shane and Dan reversed their roles in the opening goal in a move ending with Dan’s effort going wide of the far post.
Thirteen minutes in brought the first Sheerwater corner which was gloved away by Dougie, the ball was returned into the box and fell to a Sheerwater forward who blazed the ball over the bar. Two Gees attempts on goal followed, the first by Jonny set up by Shane, and then by Mark from an Elliot pass. Both efforts were cleared by a defender and then keeper. The equaliser came on 18 minutes when Sheerwater advanced unopposed down our right flank and they had the time and space in the box to turn the cross into the net. The remainder of the half saw Sheerwater largely dominate proceedings. Dan Boyden managed a shot cutting in from the left which wasn’t far wide, the same fate which befell Mark after picking up a Taylor Green pass. The only other effort of note came when Dan and Mark combined to see the latter’s shot deflected away by a defender. Sadly, once again the response to being pegged back appeared to be to cede space in the middle of the park, much to the obvious unhappiness of the bench.
At the other end Nana broke up an attack that could have resulted in worse than the corner he was forced to concede. Another long distance shot flew over the bar on the half hour mark and Dougie was called on to smother another effort before conceding a corner by the new rule of holding on to the ball for too long. Unluckily for him the Sheerwater Kindergarten behind the goal was on hand to help the Ref manage to count to five. A later Sheerwater corner was allowed to bob around the box until it was headed wide. A bigger let off, following a poor loss of possession on the halfway line, came when, with goal gaping in front of them, Sheerwater could only hit the near post. However, with 44 minutes on the clock they got their second goal when a short corner found its way out to the edge of the area and was struck home. A goal much like one or two I gather we conceded in the last two games (and in saying that I have to go back some way to recall the last time the Gees just had a pop and scored from distance). 2-1 at half time.
No changes for the start of the second half and if there were any of us who felt we were still in with a chance to salvage something from this game I’m afraid that train left the station within two minutes of the restart. Elliot went in for a challenge and a decision either way turned into neither way, the Ref decided to play on and Sheerwater carried on, duly scoring their third. Almost immediately, and well before the 63rd minute officially recorded, Mo rung the changes. Deji Alabi came on up front and Jay Waugh and Mohamed Amzil el Azouan went into midfield, with Cam, Conor and the lively Dan Boyden coming off. Deji got involved straight away with a run and cross that was blocked on its way into the box. Sheerwater then found themselves with only Dougie to beat to add a fourth goal, but he got down well to block the first effort, and the return shot was well wide. Deji was upended in the area; no penalty, a harsh decision. Some of you may be beginning to realise that the Southern Combination is not the only league where the officials don’t like us.
Jonny Miller answered the question I asked earlier by trying a long shot, but the opposition always manages to get defenders in the way. Angus Mackay replaced Shane up front on 64 minutes. The Godalming chance of note in the half came when Angus chased forward and created a rare moment of confusion in the opposition defence, Mark Soares picked up the loose ball with the keeper in no man’s land, but his chip was wide of the near post.
The rub of the green (or is it the 4G?) all went Sheerwater’s way in the 77th minute; every bounce and stumble on a run toward goal fell kindly for them, leaving Dougie as last man. His parry of the first effort fell perfectly for another blue shirt to score their fourth. Before the restart the final substitution saw Declan Joyce make his debut for Taylor Green at left back. Angus had a shot blocked; Mohamed hit the rebound over. Three yellows, two for the home side and one for Elliot, saw out the rest of the game. A Godalming corner and free kick came to nought before the Ref called an end to the proceedings.
Time for a rest from the League as it’s Chislehurst Glebe FC away in the FA Vase next Saturday, a 3pm kick off. They are a Step 5 club like us and have conceded 15 goals in 6 games. Let’s see if we can add to that.
COYG’s