Sutton Common Rovers 2 (0) v (0) 0 Godalming Town – League
You know it’s one of those seasons when you return from holiday to find seven names in the squad of sixteen that you have not seen previously. Before we do our best to identify them all, let’s go back ten years. It was also a Monday, it was also the 19th of the month, but September, and it was at this very ground that the Gees lost 10-0 to Carshalton, a bit of a low point. I wasn’t there, work commitments not holiday, but I have often heard recounted the only vaguely amusing part of the evening. It came on the final whistle as Manager and Chairman both rushed to find each other to see if the former could resign before the latter sacked him. Lightning doesn’t strike twice, does it?
For this one Will Davis was in goal and the back four lined up right to left as Nana Afful, Evan Kelly, Elliot Creeley and Fred Greenstreet. Kiye Martin, Captain Cam Edwin and Deji Alabi sat in central midfield with Dan Boyden wide right, Pele Dunn left and George Lawrence up front. Marcus Travers, Jonathan Sanchez, Jayden Hudson-Odoi, Sam Williams and Daryl Coleman filled the subs bench.
It was another brisk opening to a game on a 4G pitch and the Gees started well, although it was clear early on that Sutton Common Rovers are another of those quick and passing sides of which we’ve seen too many recently. Very early doors Deji Alabi and George Lawrence almost fashioned a chance together and Dan Boyden was unlucky to see the ball go out of play as he embarked on a run forward. Elliot Creeley was on hand to block a shot at the expense of a corner, but that was the only effort from the home side in the first ten minutes. Pele, set up by George, forced the home keeper to tip the ball over on the 15 minute mark and Fred’s header from the corner was dealt with by the keeper. Ominously SCR broke from the keeper’s throw but fortunately one forward at least was offside for them.
There followed a period where once again Godalming struggled to clear the ball and relieve pressure on themselves. A shot from our left was well saved by Will at the expense of a corner and, as the incoming ball bounced around in the box, somehow the intervention of both Will and Elliot kept the ball out. Another SCR strike from out left hit the far post and travelled back across the goal line staying the right side of the line for us. The Gees recovered themselves for a period of around ten minutes and SCR were kept quiet. Ben and Pele swapped wings and a solid tackle by Deji set up Pele, but his run petered out.
However, SCR came back and another shot from the edge of the box flew no more than a foot over the bar. A dubious decision to award them a free kick adjacent the left corner flag saw SCR again hit the woodwork, although the flag was up for offside. Will was forced to make another save and rather than play the ball out he went long; it led to Dan Boyden winning a corner which Pele took. Evan Kelly was first to the corner, but his header went agonisingly wide of the post. Halftime 0-0; competing, but behind on chances created.
No changes for the restart and within two minutes the steady work and progress of the first half was squandered when, as we have seen so often of late, the ball was not cleared from the goal area and sat up and begged for SCR to score: 1-0. The home side then scorned two further chances, shooting over the bar and then into the side netting. Between these came a nasty tackle on Dan that earnt the first yellow card of the night. A long effort from SCR from just into our half ended up going wide. George had the first effort for the Gees in the half, Deji set him through, but his shot was too high of the mark. Deji next found Pele whose cross from the goal line was grabbed by the keeper. On the hour mark Sam Williams came on for Cam, the armband passing to Nana.
SCR carved their way through down the right and Will did well to keep the shot out at the expense of a corner. The short corner caused problems in the defence and fortunately a seemingly easy sitter of a chance was put wide. Nevertheless, Godalming then embarked on what was to be their best spell of the night. Pele, Deji and Dan set up a chance for Fred that ricocheted out for a corner. Pele picked up the ball on the edge of the area and was unlucky to see a SCR player divert his shot for a second corner. Typically, they got us all buzzing, and that second corner then did not even clear the first SCR man on the near post – D’Oh! A free kick, after another yellow had been brandished for a foul on Deji, was easily dealt with by the home keeper who then got penalised by the new ‘Count to 5’ rule resulting in a corner to the Gees. For the second time in the proceedings Evan’s head got to the ball first but this time it went over the bar, albeit by no more than a foot.
All the promise thus far went up in smoke on 78 minutes when we were carved open again and Will could do nothing to prevent the score going to 2-0. The game played out with a yellow card for Fred, who shortly after left the field to be replaced by Jonathan Sanchez and in the last few minutes Jayden Hudson-Odoi came on for the ever hard working Dan Boyden.
A better team performance from the Gees. Not enough chances created for my money and too many chances allowed to the opposition, whether they take them or not is their problem. It wasn’t a repeat of the last visit to Colston Avenue, and something would be very, very wrong if had been.
And now this stop-start season stops again. I hear there’s a friendly at home to Cranleigh on Tuesday 27th but there is now no competitive game until Abbey Rangers away on 31st October.
Time to start remembering that quiz show thing – ‘Points mean Prizes’.
COYG’s