BRENTWOOD TOWN 0 CHESHUNT 1
Ryman League Division 1 North
Saturday 23rd January 2010
The Ambers played their second successive away match of the week at a damp and muddy Brentwood Arena on Saturday afternoon. After the recent weather the pitch was heavy and forced both sides to compensate to account for the surface. The referee’s assistant on the stand side struggling the most, having to keep moving in order not to sink into the mud passing for a touchline. Brentwood opened the sharper and the first five minutes saw Luke Dodd called into action, twice making point blank saves to save his defence the ignominy of conceding early. Cheshunt found their feet and passes where possible started to find their men. Tom Tresadern found plenty of space on the left, Up front a combination of heavy ground and considerably height advantage dulled Cheshunt’s cutting edge and limited opportunities to a volley from Tom Tresadern after Chris Meikle crossed to the far post, and a trademark Chris Meikle run halted with a clumsy challenge from behind in the area. Cheshunt appeals for a penalty waved away by the referee. Iain Salt & Dave Hicks had to work hard in the middle of the pitch and displayed determination and skill breaking up Brentwood attacks one moment and providing the link play to get the ball wide when Cheshunt advanced. Brentwood winger Okojie showed moments of skill, dancing across a pitch others were labouring on, this kept Tom Dos Anjos busy at right back showing the Brentwood man the outside and timing tackles well to avoid free kicks in dangerous areas. On forty four minutes Cheshunt were awarded a free kick after persistent foul challenges from the Brentwood centre halves were finally penalised 35 yards out on the left. A free kick into the danger area cleared everyone and rebounded off the far post towards the penalty spot where Chris Meikle, Cheshunt’s current top scorer drilled the ball through a crowd of players to open the scoring. The first half closed as it began with Luke Dodd making a smart save at the feet of the Brentwood winger to take Cheshunt to the break with a lead.
The second half saw Cheshunt attacking the half of the pitch with slightly the more solid ground, suiting the speedy Meikle more and aligned with Bradley Harrison replacing Graeme Dearie on the hour mark made Cheshunt a greater threat to the well organised Brentwood defence. Harrison worked hard from the moment he was introduced, forcing Brentwood into rushing passes, giving Salt & Hicks the opportunity to intercept. After one such skirmish Harrison won the ball on halfway, laid the ball back and spun his marker going for the return ball, with Brentwood playing such a high defensive line Harrison found himself clean through only to be pulled back by the whistle for an off side decision that even had the Brentwood fans wondering. Good work from Tom Tresadern on the left forced a corner taken short and crossed for Iain Salt to glance a header just wide. Okojie continued to be Brentwood’s main threat, and Dos Anjos, settling into the right back role continued to block attempts to cross into the danger area, Gary Schillachi on the Cheshunt right was, as ever, busy in front of his new right back and provided defensive experience on the right flank. Hicks dropping to pick up the ball started to find his range with the longer passes for Meikle, looking wider to eliminate the Brentwood centre halves, twice Meikle threatened to score, hitting the side netting from the left side and once beating his marker for pace only to be tugged back and muscled off the ball, another penalty claim denied. Brentwood pushed forward for an equaliser but found Dodd in good form continuing to claim crosses first time and being quick off the mark to claim the ball on the ground with some brave dives at the feet of oncoming attackers. As Brentwood became more desperate Cheshunt found it easier to move the ball into space without being closed down. Dave Hicks waited until eighty minutes for his caution, Matt Thomson replacing him thereafter and looking lively in midfield. Syaed Sentain replaced Meikle on eighty nine minutes as Cheshunt saw out four minutes of injury time with relative comfort. Four points from six on the road after the weather enforced break gives the Ambers’ supporters some positive cheer for the second half of the season.
Cheshunt: Dodd, Dos Anjos, Parry, Williams, Mountford, Hicks (Thomson 85) Salt, Schillachi, Dearie (Harrison 58) Meikle (Sentain 89) Tresadern Sub not used Forbes.
Att: 80