Chesham United 2
(Grant 36′, 65′)
United 3
(Cooke 45′(pen), Hayfield 70′, Ash 90+5′)
A late, late goal from Brad Ash goal saw United twice come from behind to seal victory at Chesham on Bank Holiday Monday.
Two Joe Grant goals either side of Cody Cooke’s penalty leveller saw Chesham lead despite Jack Cawley’s sending off just before the interval. However, after Dan Hayfield restored parity for a second time, it was left to substitute Ash to come off the bench and snatch a late winner in a five goal thriller.
Boss Paul Wotton made four changes from the 1-0 victory over Dorking 48 hours earlier as Roddy Collins – playing against his former club, Finn Tonks, Cody Cooke & Jadyn Crosbie, who made his first start for United, came in to replace Finley Craske, Ash, Ben Seymour and Oscar Threlkeld, with the latter three taking their places on the Torquay bench.
The first half began in a cagey fashion with, United winning a free kick on the right hand side in the forth minute after a foul on Hayfield. From the resulting kick Matt Carson saw a header from Lirak Hasani into the keepers arms. In the sixth minute United had the first clear chance of the game, as Cooke was clear on the edge of the area but he got under it and lifted it both over the Chesham keeper and the crossbar.
On 15 minutes the hosts had their first chance of the game as the ball fell to Callum Adebiyi, but his shot was straight at James Hamon. The 22nd minute saw Chesham get the ball across to Avan Jones, but he got underneath the ball and it sailed out of the ground.
In the 29th minute Chesham had their best chance of the game, as the ball fell to Adebiyi in the area, but his shot was fired across goal and out of play at the far post. The 31st minute saw Chesham get their first corner of the game, and from Connors’ cross it was met by the head of Cawley, who headed just over the bar.
The hosts pressure paid off in the 36th minute, as the ball came into the box and despite being cleared it only fell to the feet of Joe Garner just inside the box, and he drilled it through the crowd of legs and into the bottom corner of the net to give the Generals the lead.
United were back level in the 45th minute, as a ball across the area was partially cleared to Tonks, who’s shot was heading for the top corner before Cawley pushed it away and Torquay were awarded a penalty, with the Chesham defender awarded a red card for his save. Cooke stepped up with the resulting spot kick and drilled it low to the left to even the score up. and the Gulls also now had an extra man advantage.
With four minutes of added time given, the hosts almost got themselves in front again with the last action of the first half, as Alex Lafleur crossed into the box where it was met by the head of Adebiyi, but it went over the bar and the referee brought the first half proceedings to an end.
It was Chesham who started the second half the brightest, and on 49 minutes they nearly re-took the lead, as Grant cut inside with his shot narrowly going wide. Two minutes later the ball fell to Hasani but his shot from range was straight into the mid-riff of the Chesham keeper. A Carson cross on 53 minutes to the near post was claimed by Goode in the Chesham goal with Cooke lurking to pounce.
United broke forward as Carson drove down the line in the 58th minute, and as he cut inside his cross-come shot narrowly went over the bar. The hosts despite having ten men retook the lead in the 65th minute, as a long ball from Goode went over the United backline and fell to Minhas, who laid it onto Grant and on the run he placed the ball in the corner for his second of the game.
United needed a response and it nearly came in the 66th minute, as substitute Omar Mussa ran at the Chesham defence but his shot was saved down low by the hosts keeper. However the response did come four minutes later in the 70th minute, as the ball fell to Hayfield, and he struck it low from distance as the ball nestled in the corner and United were level again.
A multitude of substitutions after the equaliser affected the flow of the game, with neither side able to get a grip on the game, however in the 86th minute Minhas found himself with the ball in the United box, but his shot was well saved by the feet of Hamon, before the Torquay stopper gratefully claimed the ball from the air.
With seven minutes of added time being shown neither side seemed to be able to get a winner until United won a late corner. Mussa got the corner in and it was cleared out to Threlkeld, who in turn passed it out to Dean Moxey, with his cross to the near post met by Ash, who duly dived in to slam the ball home.
Another three points for Paul Wotton’s men on the road puts United in 2nd in the early National League South table, with back to back home games against Aveley and Chippenham Town up next.
CHESHAM: 1. Ben Goode, 3. Alex Lafleur, 4. Jack Cawley, 9. Nathan Minhas,(2. Lewis Rolfe, 90+1′), 14. Eion Casey, 15. Jack Connors, (6. Connor Stevens, 46′) 16. Joe Grant, (22. Samson Esan, 78′)17. Callum Adebiyi (c), 19. Ryan Upward, (18. Ashley Lodge, 73′), 23. Avan Jones, 26. Omar Rowe (10. Mitchell Weiss, 68′)
Yellow Cards: Upward 33′, Esan 90+7
Red Card: Cawley 45′
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 3 Jay Foulston, 5. Sam Dreyer, 7. Lirak Hasani,(10. Omar Mussa, 60′) 8. Roddy Collins (c),(18. Oscar Threlkeld, 60′) 14. Matt Carson, (21. Dean Moxey, 70′) 15. Jadyn Crosbie, (11. Brad Ash, 54′) 16. Ed Palmer, 17. Finn Tonks, 19. Cody Cooke,(9. Ben Seymour 73′) 20. Dan Hayfield.
Yellow Cards: Tonks 15′
Attendance: 1, 507