17/03/2025
Match report
Sutton & Banstead V Chelsham 16/03/2025
Venue – Tattenham Rec
Result - 3-2 Win
Apologies to our fans first and foremost. With a report lacking for the past month (3 games) this week saw our chief football writer return to the fold. To be honest there's not been allot to write home about, bad pitches, rain and 3 losses on the bounce 🙁
This week saw our 8th fixture of the year and a return to winning ways! One things for sure with the mighty foxes, we go all in and either lose or Win. We don't believe in boring draws!
As the weather improves there's hope the surfaces we grace will be a little more akin to the sort of football we want to play. This week we counted at least a few hundred blades of the green stuff!
Although based on recent performances the mood before the game could have been downbeat there was a confidence in the changing room. There's always a positivity around the group and a genuine feeling of togetherness. Fairplay to everyone for creating that environment.
With 2 impressive games under his belt already Tarus in net decided he'd turned up again and dare we whisper it.....we may have found a good'en! An ex Volleyball player to boot .....( or, er hand?) !!!
As sunlight (yes sun!) shone down it was Barrys bootcamp that got us warmed up also. Lee, hobbling around due to an injury (I'd hate to know how many other guys hobble around permanently due to injuries Lees administered) gave us the teamsheet. A strong backline of Chris, Dave, Stu and Barry sat behind Mario on the right, Dirren on the left and Joel and Steve in the middle. Sam and Taiye, sporting a dashing snood got the nod to start up top.
As the game got underway it was clear both teams had the same idea, enjoy the surface and keep the ball down on the deck. The early passages saw lots of neat moves but at times the option to go long, perhaps neglected a little. With a few bobbles here and there both sides were probably guilty of over playing at times. The idea from the Foxes was to be compact and allow Joel the middle of the park to express himself. With Steve returning and not fully fit we were a little too open and unable to cover the spaces. Dave however, stepping up to be a ball playing CB. There were give an goes a plenty but both teams struggled to break the lines and the odd 20/25 yard pot shot were all that got the fans off their seats. Frank and the returning Andy there, having brought a ticket.
Mid-way though the first half Steve found Joel in the middle, he turned and delayed a pass into Taiye, now snood-less and warm, he delayed his run perfectly and off he went. Powering down on goal and with Sam in the middle as an option he shot low and true into the bottom left corner, great finish and two in two. Nice move the Foxes although slightly against the run of play!
Chelsham had their first half chances but if they beat the defence, they could not beat Tarus. The bearded wonder providing a great signing/friend of young Sam. One weapon we could not get to grips with was their long throw, a rocket launcher, Delap like in its trajectory and delivered, every time to the near post. It was indeed this move that saw the equaliser, a scrappy finish but a good ploy nevertheless.
With a few tweaks, Geoff coming on to replace Taiye and a shuffle of the pack positionally it was the foxes that grabbed the lead again. A throw from Chris, into Joel who spun, deep in the Chelsham box and played the ball back for Mario to clip in. Missing Sam who attracted his marker with him, this left space for Geoff to compose himself and hit a shot back across goal and low into the corner, 1st touch Geoffrey!
As the first half played out it felt like the game could have easily been a draw at half-time but in we went a goal up. A tweak again, Mario having a breather (and a ciggy) and off we went with Ron on the right. In. recent weeks we've fell into the trap of dropping too deep and over playing, perhaps its a phycological thing, not wanting to lose but when you invite pressure this carries a risk. On reflection and in reality we think it was a combo of fatigue and Chelsham bringing on a few more of their combinative CM's in a quest to over run us in the middle. With Dirren now in there this provided the legs and a press from the middle. Brilliant game in there showcasing he can play anywhere across the midfield.
With chances scarce it was our opponents that looked the more dangerous. Going close with a freekick pushed over by Tarus and then seeing an effort clip the bar. Tarus then decided he'd turn provider and launched a hopeful, albeit log kick which Sam chased down. A cute little shoulder/nudge caused havoc in the backline and with the keeper advancing/panicking Sam lofted the ball up and over him and high into the net with the ball bouncing just under the bar. Brilliant and just the sort of luck he deserved. 3-1 should have been 4-1. Cute passes from Joel, firstly a lovely faint and reverse into Sam and then Ron saw the keeper make decent saves. Perhaps the better option on the Ron pass was to go it alone as the angle narrowed. Mr hindsight huh.
With the game fizzling out and a win in sight a late scare. A corner, brilliantly met by this weeks MVP, Dave was returned with purpose, on the volley by a Chelsham sub and into the net. An unreal finish, a real peach of an effort.
A few more pop shots later and Gary finally blew his whistle for the Sutton win. A good game played in good spirits.
Notable highlights;
Dave claiming he'd never been given a freekick from Gary the ref in all his career (lol)
Ben sporting a wonderful pair of orange boots that had the opponents reaching for the suncream
The sniper was back this week, hiding in the trees and taking out the Rocket
Talk in the changing room of Taiye's new business venture - turns out he's turned his ample back on a lucrative career in Finance and gone into the personalised water bottle market!
