Amersham Tournament Match Reports
Chesham United 1-2 Hemel Hempstead Town
Chesham: Bobby Smith, Mark Lambert, Andy Keepence, Danny Talbot, Simon Ellis, Josh Cooper, Dom Marsala, Dave Fotheringham, Darrell Cox, Ed Chemlal, Leon Archer.
Subs used: Steve Cawley & Steve Obeng for Dave Fotheringham & Simon Ellis 25 mins.
Goal: Marsala 50 mins.
Hemel's team included Nathan Bowden-Haase, Simon Sweeney, Steve Sinclair and Garry Sippetts. After the opening five minutes Chesham took control of the game and Leon Archer had a shot tipped over by the keeper, then Josh Cooper rounded the keeper before putting the ball in the net but was wrongly flagged offside. Against the run of play Hemel took the lead on 18 minutes with a shot by Simon Sweeney into the top corner from the edge of the area. Shortly before half-time Danny Talbot's shot was saved by the keeper and Darell Cox netted the rebound but was given offside. In the second half Danny Talbot broke clear and the keeper made a god save to turn his shot behind, then Darrell Cox chipped over the advancing keeper but just wide of the post. Five minutes from the end Sippetts picked up a loose ball and rounded Bobby Smith only to miss the goal but a team-mate tapped in. Chesham grabbed a last-minute consolation that gave the scoreling a fairer look, when Steve Cawley broke down the right and crossed low for Dom Marsala who netted at the second attempt.
Chesham United 1-1 Amersham Town
Chesham: James Beasant, Olowa Leckie, Mark Lambert, Ed Chemlal, Joel Reid, Simon Ellis, George Coyle, Dom Marsala, Adam Parker, Sammy Winston, Steve Cawley.
Subs used: Leon Archer, Dave Fotheringham, Steve Obeng, Mark Frimpong, Callum Mansell 25 mins.
Goal: Reid 48 mins.
Chesham used a couple of trialists and youth team graduates against an Amersham team that had just lost 4-0 to Hendon. Chesham took control of the game from the start and early on Sammy Winston appeared to be tripped in the area but referee Dave Adams and linesman James Allen decided no penalty. Winston broke clear but shot wide of the far post, then Adam Parker was also clean through but the keeper saved and Dom Marsala headed the rebound over. Marsala then crossed for Winston who headed back across goal but wide, but totally against the run of play Amersham scored after 20 minutes with a header from a left-wing cross. Early in the second half a cross from Leon Archer hit a defender on the hand for a penalty, but Adam Parker's spot-kick was saved. Parker and Dave Fotheringham had shots cleared off the line, but Chesham's blushes were spared two minutes from time when Fotheringham was tripped on the edge of the area and Joel Reid's free kick found the top corner.
Chesham United 2-1 Hendon
Chesham: Bobby Smith, Ed Chemlal, Mark Lambert, Andy Keepence, Dave Fotheringham, Danny Talbot, Josh Cooper, Steve Obeng, Adam Parker, Darrell Cox, Steve Cawley.
Subs used: Leon Archer for Adam Parker 25 mins, George Coyle for Josh Cooper 41 mins.
Goals: Chemlal 7 mins, Cox 13 mins.
Hendon beat Hemel 2-0 which virtually clinched the tournament for them, but Chesham produced a fine first-half performance to break their duck. After seven minutes Danny Talbot's right-wing corner was headed on by Darrell Cox for Ed Chemlal to nod in at the far post, then six minutes later a neat build-up led to Steve Cawley playing the ball in to Darrell Cox who wrong-footed a defender and notched the second. Late in the half some great play by Josh Cooper resulted in Cox being sent clear but the keeper saved. Chesham were looking comfortable against a Hendon team featuring Marc Leach and Sam Byfield, but midway through the second half Bobby Smith controlled a back-pass but lost possession and allowed a tap-in to reduce the arrears. Late in the game Hendon put on some pressure and Dave Fotheringham cleared off the line but Chesham held on. That left Hemel needing to beat Amersham by seven goals to win the tournament, which was never likely after Amersham took an early lead, but Hemel won 2-1 with goals by Sippetts and Bowden-Haase to leave Chesham third in the tournament.
Simon Newbury
