United 2
(Marshall 50′, Jarvis 90+3′)
Chippenham 1
(Fasanmade 53′)
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United gained their first win of 2023/24 on Tuesday evening, with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Chippenham Town at Plainmoor.
After a blank first-half, both sides exchanged early second half goals via United’s Ross Marshall and Town’s Craig Fasanmade, and it wasn’t until the death the men in yellow turned one point into three, as Aaron Jarvis pounced with an injury-time winner.
Following the weekend reverse against Worthing, United boss Gary Johnson rang the changes for the visit of The Bluebirds, with Dan Martin, Tom Lapslie and Marshall taking the places of Finley Craske, Brett McGavin and Will Jenkins Davies.
The opening stages were certainly closely-fought, with neither side making it easy for their opponent to create anything in the way of clear-cut chances.
The opening chance of the game eventually fell the way of The Gulls in the 27th minute.
A sprightly run and cross down the left from Martin missed out on the appropriate finishing touch from Brad Ash and Jarvis, however it nearly received one from Jack Stobbs instead, only for the United winger to fire his right-footed effort over the crossbar from ten yards out.
As the first half wore on, Johnson’s men began to exert their authority on proceedings, with the visitors forced to settle for a few brief counter-attacks.
Another Martin cross from the left nearly summoned a breakthrough six minutes before the interval, however on this occasion it took a desperate defensive header just short of the goalline to prevent Jarvis from nodding home at the back post.
A minute later, a half-cleared corner saw the ball worked into Ash inside the 18-yard box, and after shaking off the attentions of his marker, the former Chippenham favourite cut inside before sending a left-footer over the crossbar.
It remained goalless at the change of ends.
The second half saw Johnson’s men on the front foot once again, with an impressive turn of pace and some clever footwork seeing Ash break into the left-hand side of the penalty area, before eventually seeing his options closed down.
The match suddenly burst into action moments later.
After cutting out a dangerous attack, Marshall threw off his defensive shackles by bringing the ball up towards the centre circle, before feeding the ball out wide to Jack Stobbs on the right flank. With Stobbs always likely to send in an inviting delivery, Marshall continued his run all the way into the penalty area, before directing a perfectly-placed header from 15 yards to open the scoring.
Sadly, the lead lasted all of three minutes.
With a ball down the centre appeared to cause a brief moment of indecision inside the United box, with Fasanmade getting to the ball first to send a diagonal effort past the advancing Mark Halstead’s outstretched hand – 1-1.
The game opened up following the two goals, with both sides going in search of a winner.
The dismissal of Luke Spokes appeared to set United up with the momentum to push on, but Fasanmade nearly made a mockery of that thought, as a free-kick found its way to the back post, with his opportunist leaving Halstead flat-footed and gratefully watching it cannon off the crossbar.
Thereafter though, it was United hell-bent in search of a winner.
Dillon De Silva, on as a sub, so nearly provided it with a right-footed effort at the back stick that was cleared off the line, before Lewis Collins curled wide moments later.
With three of eleven additional up, Jarvis came up with the perfect time to register his first goal of the campaign to get United up and running.
Having done well to keep the move alive on the right of the box, Ash’s awareness picked out his strike partner perfectly on the edge of the six-yard box, with Jarvis slamming the ball into the roof of the net with added glee.
The Gulls went in search of more thereafter, but the Yellow Army’s reaction said it all at full-time – three points was what it was all about.
Having secured their first victory of the season, Johnson’s men will now be looking to follow that up on the road on Saturday, with a trip to St Albans next up.
UNITED: 1. Mark Halstead,3. Dan Martin (2. Dylan Crowe, 70′), 4. Tom Lapslie, 6. Ross Marshall (17. Dillon De Silva, 74′), 8. Asa Hall (c) (18. Will Jenkins Davies, 17′), 9. Aaron Jarvis, 10. Lewis Collins, 11. Brad Ash, 16. Shaun Donnellan, 23. Ollie Tomlinson, 27. Jack Stobbs.
SUBS NOT USED: 7. Ryan Hanson, 22. Rhys Lovett.
Yellow Cards: Stobbs 45′, Crowe 86′
CHIPPENHAM: 1. Will Henry, Ed Jones, 3. Freddie Grant, 4. Craig Fasanmade, 5. Aaron Amadi-Holloway (17. George Abbott, 74′), 7. Tyreke Johnson, 8. Jake Evans, 9. Matt McClure (c) (12. Owen Windsor, 89′), 14. Luke Spokes, 16. Caine Bradbury (20. Will King, 9′), 18. Nat Williams.
SUBS NOT USED: 11. Alex Bray, 13. Mal Nicholls
Yellow Card / Red Card: Spokes 26′, 85′
Yellow Card: Grant 45′, Abbott 90+6′
Attendance: 2,069 (45 away)