Guildford City (2) 4, Chipstead (1) 1
by Barry Underwood
There was a joint sigh of relief at full-time when Guildford finally claimed their first victory in 24 matches. It was a fully deserved win as well, although the loss of the Chipstead goalkeeper to a red card after only 15 minutes didn’t harm City’s cause. Daniel Fosu under hit a shooting chance early on and it was against the run of play when Chipstead took the lead through Tyrone Selormey who rounded the keeper to score with ease. Guildford weren’t deterred and three minutes later the scores were again level. Daniel Fosu did well and the loose ball fell to Kai Zini who calmly slotted home. The same two players combined on 15 minutes in a move that culminated in the Chipstead keeper Mo Otuyo being shown a red card. Zini had chased a through ball giving Daniel Fosu a shooting chance which was saved by the diving Otuyo albeit just outside his penalty area. On 29 minutes City went ahead. Fosu had a shot blocked and the loose ball fell to Kai Zini who fired into the roof of the net. The visitors had a couple of long-range efforts that didn’t threaten the goal, whilst Alex McLean’s shot was blocked by stand-in goalkeeper Kamran Campbell onto the crossbar.
Guildford opened the second period brightly and should have scored through the otherwise impressive Callum Hope. A ball was played across the box after fine build up but Hope shot wide of the target. Five minutes into the half Guildford won a rare penalty. Naison O’Neill went down in a heap in the box and man of the moment Kai Zini stepped up to complete his hattrick. Just ten players or not Chipstead weren’t content to just play the game out and they came strongly into the game. A corner zipped right through the six-yard box without a touch, and Marvin Wood saved well low down at his near post. In the late stages Chipstead fired a number of challenging crosses into the box that a bruised Drake, Woolliscroft and Wood dealt with well. Going forward Kai Zini made a good arcing run that led to him shooting wide, whilst Marvin Wood couldn’t hold a cross, but Tre Woolliscroft cleared excellently off the line. If there were any nerves they were settled on 88 minutes. From a City corner the ball ricocheted around the six-yard box before falling to Tre Woolliscroft who netted from 15 yards.
Team: Marvin Wood, Naison O’Neill (Josh Adjei 63), Callum Hope, Ben Drake, Alex McLean (Joel Oppong 83), Tre Woolliscroft, Tobi Falodi, Glenn Gabriel (Jojo Ampah 63), Daniel Fosu (Kallum Peart 72), Kai Zini, Luca Le Page (Ben Matthews 86).
Referee: Jonathan Was
Attendance – 64
Photograph by Chris Pegman