Guildford City (2) 3, Windsor (2) 3
by Barry Underwood
Both sides left the Spectrum on Saturday with a point a piece after a thriller of a match. Granted City players and supporters were gutted to concede an equaliser deep into stoppage time at the end but in truth it was a goal that Windsor deserved. Guildford had gone into the match minus suspended midfield players Bobby Dormer and Jack Battie and there was some concern that City would be a little light in that area. Their absence though wasn’t immediately obvious and it was the home side that dominated territorially in the early stages. As happens so often in football it was the opposition who opened the scoring after 13 minutes with their first meaningful attack. Bonilla Hurtado crossed low into the box and Barry Dunbar made City pay for some indecision by side footing home. Guildford was playing some good football, but so were the visitors who were always looking to create problems amongst the home defence. Ibby Akanbi was looking typically lively down the flanks and twice his final ball into the box had been misdirected. Third time lucky though his strong run to the by-line saw him lay the ball back to the edge of the box where Kiye Martin powered in a first time effort that went in off the crossbar. Windsor looked likely to hit back, and minutes after going close Denzel Bonilla Hurtado fired a low shot towards the far post which slipped into the corner of the net via an unfortunate deflection. That seemed that for the first period but in stoppage time Shawn Clement-Peter slid Marcel Henry-Francis through on the left where he was able to curl a shot around keeper Hugo Sobte.
Guildford lifted their game in the second-half and looked the more dangerous of the sides. Immediately after the restart Henry-Francis saw a good effort deflected for a corner, and on 51 minutes the same player was put through but his last touch was too heavy and Sobte was able to save comfortably. Guildford were sometimes guilty of playing too much football in their own half causing anxious moments when possession was lost. The football though from both sides was attractive. Marcel Henry-Francis sliced an effort wide but within minutes from a corner there were strong appeals for handball in the box and claims for a City penalty were waved away. On 67 minutes though the home side nudged ahead for what looked as if it might be the winner. Shawn Clement-Peter made a strong run forward and found Ibby Akanbi on the left. His low cross caused problems in defence and Kiye Martin was on the edge of the box to curl a fine effort into the top corner. In quick succession City had two chances to put the game to bed. The otherwise quiet Moses Ashikodi did well on the right to set up Henry-Francis but his shot on the turn went narrowly wide of the post. Within a minute Marcel Henry-Francis found himself goal side and bearing down on goal but Sobte was quickly off his line to smother the big striker’s effort at close range. As the game entered the final stages Windsor sensed there was an opportunity to get something from the game and as they pushed forward the lively Henry Montague put an effort over the crossbar from three yards. It was therefore no surprise that in the fifth minute of stoppage time a fine corner from the right was headed home at close range by Riccardo Cannon. Gut wrenching for the disappointed home side but in the cold light of day a deserved point each earned from an entertaining game of football.
Team: Luke Badiali, Greg Haydon (Nathan Gordon 47), Darryl Siaw, Tom Booth, Kiye Martin, Jason Thompson, Will Hoare, Shawn Clement-Peter, Marcel Henry-Francis (Rob Wickenden 72), Ibby Akanbi, Moses Ashikodi (Chad Goulter 78). Unused sub: Tom Bingham.
Referee: Hugh Gilroy
Attendance – 144
Match Photos – Click here
