Redhill (2) 2, Guildford City (1) 2
Match report by Barry Underwood
Guildford City’s fine form continued at Kiln Brow when they took a valuable point away from a battling performance against a promotion chasing Redhill side. With Nwadike suspended, and Drake (working) and Jon-Peter (ill) also absent this match was seen as a tough challenge. But Guildford rose to the occasion and they scored in just the second minute when George Burgess-Allen burst through on the right and drove a low shot past James Dillon in the home goal. City then defended a sustained period of pressure from Redhill. It was no surprise when after 10 minutes the Lobsters scored an equalising goal. A low ball from the left found Adeshola Onasanya in space and he shot high into the net. Guildford, despite sustained defending, posed a significant threat on the counter and on 16 minutes Callum Hope’s effort was cleared off the line. Redhill twice saw shots go narrowly wide but for the neutrals present this was a good game to watch. Just after the half hour Redhill went ahead. A deep corner found Tommy Smith at the back of the goal and his looping header found the net in the far corner. Late in the half City had three good chances on goal. Callum Hope hooked a ball into the goalmouth from the byline and only excellent last-ditch defending prevented debutant Regan Clarke-Salter turning the ball over the line. Moments later Joel Oppong drove towards goal, but Dillon made a good blocking save. Then from a corner Clarke-Salter couldn’t make contact with his head with the goal gaping.
The second period was played in a similar vein to the first with Redhill enjoying more of the ball, and City’s defence defended a host of corners. Then home side came close on 56 minutes when after a sharp turn a shot just went wide of the top corner. But again, City looked really lively on the break, and on 62 minutes Naison O’Neill’s 25-yard piledriver was brilliantly saved by Dillon. Redhill had another decent chance that went high and wide but for City Joel Oppong was posing a considerable threat. On 72 minutes Oppong broke forward and fed Emeka Okakpu whose angled shot was saved at full stretch by Dillon. Five minutes later the same players combined for Guildford’s equaliser. This time Okakpu’s shot on the turn was again saved at full stretch, but this time not held and Josh Oppong was on hand to fire home the loose ball. Minutes later Okakpu again shot on the turn but his effort when narrowly wide. On 86 minutes City went down to 10 when Alex McLean was shown a second yellow card, and with players with knocks and suffering from cramp it was a desperately long eight minutes of stoppage time but in the end, it was a fully deserved draw for a young but talented Guildford side.
Team: Marvin Wood, Naison O’Neill, Callum Hope, Luca Le Page (Jojo Ampah 58), Regan Clarke-Salter (Ben Matthews 49), Joe Atkin (Emeka Okakpu 58, Tobi Falodi (Josh Adjei 76), George Burgess-Allen, Alex McLean, Kai Zini (Tyrese Agbontaen 58), Joel Oppong.
Referee: Steve Hart
Attendance – 155
Photograph by Chris Pegman