Chesham United v Waltham Forest

Report

Isthmian League Division 1 North 2003-4
1 - 0
Final Score
Game Statistics
0 Yellows 0
0 Reds 0
0 Corner Kick 0
0 Saves 0
0 Shots on Goal 0
0 Shots 0

Report

The Stags only visit of the season to the county of Buckinghamshire ended in a single goal defeat at the hands of Chesham United. Ironically, the only goal was scored by former Forest striker John Lawford.

With the temperature dropping to below freezing, Chesham started strongly, and made their first break on the visitors’ goal after just 7 minutes, but Darren Placid blocked the shot with his feet to clear for a corner. Chesham forced a succession of corners but the Forest defence somehow kept them out.

In a rare breakaway Yusuf Cicek, Mark Stein and Robbie Rix combined well, but the final pass found Stein just off side. A minute later Juho Rantala played a deep free kick to Warren Ryan, but his shot was blocked.

On the quarter hour a Chesham free kick was played deep to the right and Placid did well to hold onto the cross shot. Almost immediately Ian Barnes was injured in a challenge and had to go off. Forest delayed bringing on a replacement and while they were a player short, Cicek was dispossessed and the ball was squared to Lawford whose low shot just crept inside the post to put the home side in front.

Chris Cashman replaced Barnes and was soon joining a rearguard that sought to contain Chesham. Placid tipped a shot over the bar and another chance went begging when it cleared the crossbar from close in. Shots were raining on the Forest goal, but Wayne Brown and Simon Tickner were stalwarts in defence, and Placid rode his luck when he came to intercept a through ball, but the Chesham forward chipped him only for the ball to rebound from the post into the keeper’s arms.

John Morgan earned the only booking of the night on 38 minutes when he was late with a tackle on the left. The resulting free kick went wide of the target.

Forest ventured forward in the last few minutes of the half and Stuart Elliott, Cicek and Rix all tested the home defence, and on the stroke of half-time a deep corner from Morgan found Brown, but his header was blocked.

Both sides made changes at the break with Scarlett replacing Richardson for Chesham and “Sos” Guei coming on for Rantala in the Forest midfield.

Forest looked more positive after the break and a through pass from Cashman gave Ryan a shooting opportunity, but his cross shot was well held by Dave Clarke. Soon after Stein found Morgan whose shot was saved and Ryan shot over having chased a through ball.

On the hour Dewayne Clarke replaced Stein, and was soon challenging the home defence only to be ruled offside.

Chesham had a spell of pressure in which they sought to double their lead, but the visitors defended well.

Midway through the half Cicek fired in a shot, but a deflection helped it into the keeper’s arms. Soon after Elliott and Clarke combined well, but Morgan’s shot went over. A minute later a Morgan free kick was well saved.

In the final few minutes Forest could have snatched a point. Cicek had two efforts blocked and just before the whistle a cross from Morgan found Clarke at the far post, but his effort was inches wide.

Teams: Chesham United:-John Clarke, Paul Aldridge, John Richardson (Andre Scarlett 46), Nathan Bowden-Haase, Peter Clifford, Andy Adebowale, Neil Yates, Dave Fotheringham, Gary Sippetts (Tom Neill 65), John Lawford, Chris Herron. Subs not used:- Ben Smith, Stephen Miles and Kevin Mealor.

Waltham Forest: Darren Placid, Ian Barnes (Chris Cashman 18), Yusuf Cicek, Simon Tickner, Wayne Brown, Juho Rantala (Hugues Guei 46), John Morgan, Stuart Elliott, Warren Ryan, Mark Stein (Dewayne Clarke 60), Robbie Rix. Subs not used:- Declan Perkins and Andy Burke.