Sutton Coldfield Town 0-5 Chesham United

Chesham's league season got off to the perfect start with this win.  Sutton Coldfield may have looked a pale shadow of the team that reached last season's play-offs, but they were totally outplayed and Chesham could have won by an even bigger margin.  Even though this was a fine team display, it was capped by a remarkable individual performance by Danny Burnell and it will need some checking of the record books to find the last time that a Chesham player scored five goals in a game.

Chesham fielded a virtual first-choice team apart from Andy Keepence, who had recovered from the heel injury sustained in pre-season but suffered a dead leg in training, which meant that Adam Parker took over as captain.  Unusually for an opening game only five of Chesham's sixteen players were making their competitive debuts for the club.  Chesham took the lead in the fourth minute of the game in their first attack, thanks largely to a helping hand from the home defence.  Keeper Craig Woodcock came out to the edge of his area to clear Ed Booth's back pass, but Danny Burnell blocked his clearance and looked to follow up but did not need to as the ball bounced on into the home net.  Sutton Coldfield then had two chances, both falling to Aaron Farrell who broke clear on the right and pulled his shot across goal, then turned onto a quick free kick and shot powerfully but just high and wide.

Midway through the half Chesham made it two when Darrell Cox found space on the right and fired in a shot that Woodcock could only parry as far as Burnell, who side-footed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.  Dom Marsala was finding plenty of space on the left and fired over after being sent clear by Burnell's fine crossfield pass, then Dave Fotheringham sent Marsala clear again but Kirk Smith got back to deflect the ball behind.  However on the half-hour Burnell completed his hat-trick when the ball was played into the area, Burnell appeared to have lost possession to Adam Hughes but won it back and turned to fire into the roof of the net from six yards.  Chesham were now well on top and Woodcock spilt a long ball from Sam Ledger, Adam Parker poked it goalwards but Dion Scott got back to clear.  In the last minute of the half Bobby Smith's long free kick into the home area was headed down by Adam Parker and Burnell hooked the ball into the corner of the net to make it 4-0.

The home team reshuffled their defence at half-time, moving their most experienced player Nathan Moran to the back in a classic case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.  The game lost some of its edge as it was obvious where the points were headed, but Chesham could have added to their total when Adam Parker chested down a Max Howell free kick but hooked the ball over from close range.  Burnell just beat Woodcock to a Dave Fotheringham through pass but his chip went just wide, while at the other end a powerful shot by Farrell was parried by Bobby Smith.  In the dying stages Burnell glanced a header wide from a cross by sub Steve Cawley, and Darrell Cox had a powerful shot parried by Woodcock then dragged a shot across goal with only Woodcock to beat.  However in the last minute Steve Obeng's through ball sent Burnell clear to dummy past the keeper and score his and Chesham's fifth.  Burnell could even have had a sixth in stoppage time after a mix-up in the home defence, but Woodcock produced a great save to turn the ball round the post.

Simon Newbury

1 User online