Badshot Lea (0) 0, Guildford City (0) 5
by Barry Underwood
A Combined Counties Cup match at Shawfield Road against struggling Badshot Lea was the assignment facing Guildford City on Tuesday evening. The hosts had beaten fellow basement dwellers Bedfont and Feltham at the weekend but previously had lost heavily at home in the league to Hartley Wintney. To be fair Badshot gave it their all in the first period, working hard for each other but without really threatening the City goal. Guildford meanwhile enjoyed a lot of possession and had chances on goal but couldn’t quite fashion that clear opening. As early as the third minute Marcel Henry-Francis saw a low shot tipped round the post by former City keeper Lee Allen. Then from the resulting in-swinging corner from Will Hoare everybody missed the ball except the defender on the line who hooked the ball off the line. In a bright opening the lurking Tom Bingham found the net from close range but was adjudged just to be offside. The fluency in City’s play began to dry up and the match became scrappy. It didn’t stop the visitors having efforts on goal and on 38 minutes Will Hoare hit an early effort that Allen saved well with his legs. Minutes later Darryl Siaw ran strongly into the box before pulling the ball back to Henry-Francis whose low shot was again saved by Allen’s legs. Just to remind everybody that there were two sides in the match, City’s debutant goalkeeper Eden Cooke was forced quickly off his line to defy Lewis Sinclair, and minutes later Cooke again saved well to thwart Ewan Aitchison.
City came out for the second period looking to re-ignite their early spark. This they did when from Bobby Dormer’s cross Tom Bingham mistimed his volley, and moments later Kiye Martin went down in the box to claims for a penalty; claims that went unanswered by referee Andy Mawby. The first goal wasn’t long coming though. On 50 minutes Tom Bingham battled past the goalkeeper only to see his effort on goal cleared off the line. Fortunately for City the rebound fell kindly to Marcel Henry-Francis who side footed home. There was a moment of danger for Guildford three minutes later but Eden Cooke saved well form a Badshot free-kick. The home side were visibly beginning to wilt and with twenty minutes remaining Tom Booth’s fine run on the right was rewarded when his curling effort found the corner of the net. By now City were rampant and the third goal came two minutes later. Again Tom Booth went past a defender on the right and his low cross was converted at close range by Ibby Akanbi. Minutes after hitting the Badshot crossbar with a delicate lob, Jack Battie was himself on the scoresheet converting a low cross at the near post. On 83 minutes Jack Battie turned provider, crossing into the box for Will Hoare to convert. Substitute Kieran Trevor came close twice in the final moments but manager Steve Dormer will be satisfied with both the performance and advancing to the next round of the League Cup.
Team: Eden Cooke, Greg Haydon, Darryl Siaw, Jack Battie, Bobby Dormer, Jason Thompson, Kyle Martin, Will Hoare, Marcel Henry-Francis (Rob Wickenden 60), Ibby Akanbi (Kieran Trevor 72), Tom Bingham (Tom Booth 64). Unused sub: Chad Goulter.
Referee: Andy Mawby
Match Photos: Click here
