|
|
|
|
Chelmsford City 4-0 Hampton & Richmond Borough, Friday 6th April 2007, Chelmsford Sport & Athletics Centre, Kick-Off 3:00pm, Ryman League Premier Division.
City demolished title favourites Hampton with a foul-goal mauling at Melbourne in front a huge 2,000+ crowd, the second largest in the League in thirty years. Jeff King's team marched to the top of the table ahead of Saturday's other games thanks to goals from Ricky Holmes, Jeff Minton, Kezie Ibe and Lee Boylan. Chelmsford now sit in a commanding position as one of the main challengers for the title and promotion. The Billericay Town match to signal the return home of the Clarets aside, City had not welcomed so many supporters through the turnstiles in a League game since the debut of Jimmy Greaves at New Writtle Street thirty years ago, and they were present to see the Management Team keep faith with the eleven who lost at Leyton the previous week. The only change to the squad was Jason Hallett's absence through illness which saw Marcel Nugent added to the bench. Proceedings began tentatively, with both sides gaining an insight into each other's tactics and styles of play though Spencer Knight did flick a header from a corner onto the top of the net for City in the 8th minute. At the other end, goalkeeper Ashley Harrison was forced into making a close range 14th-minute save to deny defender Rob Paris' header any end result. Hampton suffered a blow just after the half-hour mark when important striker Ian Hodges, who was sent-off in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, was forced to leave the field through injury and Elliott Godfrey came on to replace him. In the 34th minute the deadlock was broken in style. Fiston Manuella passed out wide to Holmes on the right and he cut inside before surprising 'keeper Matt Lovett with a fizzing drive from 25 yards into the top corner for one of the goals of the season. Shortly afterwards Jamie England, who was to put-in another accomplished display, should have netted a quick second but his effort was dealt with by panic-stricken Lovett. Moments before half-time Boylan tried his luck from distance as he turned on the edge of the area and swung a shot at goal though it didn't trouble the Beavers' custodian too much and Chelmsford entered the interval with a single-goal lead. Four minutes into the second half a Hampton corner was hung in the area for Paris again to head at goal without success but City's reputation at home was not to sit back on slender leads and they began to press home their advantage with a second goal on 55 minutes. England again got a sight of the target and, when his strike was blocked, the ball ran loose to Minton who found the net low through a crowd of bodies from around ten yards out. A further four minutes passed when Chelmsford began to turn the game into a rout, Ibe enhancing his growing reputation by dancing his way into the box, around Lovett then walking the ball into the net in exquisite style. It was no less than the hosts deserved for a classy performance. Ibe was involved once more twenty minutes from the end, playing a one-two with Spencer Knight on the left before seeing his prod goalwards knocked wide by the overworked visiting goalkeeper. However, from the resulting corner, Minton swung a delivery to the far post which found it's way into the goal via a combination of defender Marcello Fernandes and the attentions of Boylan. Both sides went-on to create half chances for the rest of the game though the destination of the points was never in doubt and Chelmsford sent a message out to their opponents and the other championship challengers to signal their ambitions are still firmly to finish first. City: 1 Ashley Harrison Hampton & Richmond Borough: Matt Lovett, Barrie Matthews, Ryan Lake, Matt Elverson, Rob Paris, Marcello Fernandes, Alan Inns, Stuart Lake, Ian Hodges, Lawrence Yaku, Marvin Bartley. Subs: Elliott Godfrey, Elliott Frost, Glen Harris, Obinna Ulasi, Victor Asombang. Bookings: City: Manuella. Referee: P.T. McCaul (St. Ives). Assistant Referees: G.L. Weston (Harlow) and J.A. Pope (Witham). Attendance: 2,008. City Man of the Match: Ricky Holmes. |
|
By
Chris Evans
(Picture by Matt Bradshaw)
