Division One (East)
Finchampstead 1 Chalfont Wasps 2
Saturday, 30 November 2002
Lacklustre performances by some of the stand-in Finchampstead players ensured that their side got nothing from their Hellenic Football League Division One (East) match against mid-table Chalfont Wasps at Finchampstead Park on Saturday, going down 2-1 in a game that they should have had in the bag by half-time. With several injuries and two key player departures decimating their side, the Finch reserve and third team players that were called up for first team duty were clearly lacking on the day, both in terms of skill and pace, resulting in an unexpected defeat that sees Finch?s championship retention slipping away.
To be fair, Finch just had the edge in the opening fifteen minutes, but rarely looked confident in front of goal as several good scoring chances went begging. They took the lead in the fifteenth minute thanks to a defensive blunder, Martin Turner?s cross into the penalty area bobbling over the foot of Chalfont defender Dominic Lewis, presenting Danny Humphreys with the simplest of tap-ins into the unguarded net at the far post. In the twentieth minute, with Finch still on top, Martin Turner directed a header just over the crossbar from a pinpoint Danny McCarthy cross, the first of many bad Finch missed chances on the day. At the other end, Stuart Harris in the Finch goal made two good saves midway through the half from Raich Fraser and Micky Poole, who had both been allowed to progress unchallenged through the Finch midfield towards goal before firing in powerful shots that the Finch keeper did well to save. Finch paid the penalty for giving Chalfont?s best player Raich Fraser too much room in the thirty-eighth minute, the lively forward dancing past two seemingly bemused Finch defenders before picking his spot and drilling the ball into the back of the net between Stuart Harris and his left hand goal post.
Half Time: 1-1
Lee Goddard was unlucky to see his looping header rebound off the underside of the crossbar in the fiftieth minute before being scrambled to safety before Danny Humphreys could get a toe to the loose ball. Then a great run through midfield by Grant Lewin in the sixtieth minute ended with a neat ball into the penalty area to Matt Corder, whose first time shot was brilliantly punched around the post by Chalfont keeper Mark Beattie, who somehow flew across the face of his goal to get his fists to the ball. Not to be outdone, at the other end Micky Poole send a tremendous shot skimming over the crossbar in the sixty-fourth minute as Chalfont quickly turned defence into attack, using both wings well to get behind the Finch defence. Raich Fraser was unlucky not to grab his second goal of the afternoon in the sixty-eighth minute when his twenty-yard effort rebounded off the crossbar with Stuart Harris well-beaten, and a minute later Marcus Fearon was prevented from getting his shot in on goal at the edge of the six yard box thanks to a brilliant last-ditch blocking tackle from Lee Goddard. Then came Chalfont?s winner in the seventy-first minute when Finch?s Matt Corder failed to deal with an innocuous looking cross into the penalty area from Steve Crook, presenting the clearly surprised but grateful John Hammersley with a golden opportunity to crack the ball into the back of the net with a rising shot from fifteen yards out, although the stationary Stuart Harris should probably have got a hand to the ball to at least try to save it rather than watch it fly passed him into goal. 2-1 down, from then on it was an uphill struggle for Finch, who continued to create goal-scoring chances that begged for a finishing touch in front of goal. With fifteen minutes remaining, good inter-play down the right wing by Danny McCarthy and Matt Corder ended with a well delivered cross to the far edge of the Chalfont penalty area, but the unmarked Danny Humphreys snap-shop failed to trouble the keeper, who watched the ball sail a yard over his crossbar. The closing and perhaps best scoring chance of the game came six minutes from the end when Martin Turner raced through on goal, only to fire a timid shot straight at the keeper from six yard out. That just about summed up Finch?s day.
Although still in with an outside chance of league honours, Finch clearly need to add two or three quality players to the side, particularly up front, as although plenty of chances are being created in their open play, few have been converted this season, a situation that cannot be maintained if they are to retain their championship title.
On Saturday, Finchampstead travel to Chalfont Wasps for a Hellenic Football League Division One (East) fixture. Finchampstead reserves entertain Wootton Bassett Town Reserves in a Hellenic Football League Reserve Division One fixture
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