WITHAM TOWN 0 CHESHUNT 4

Ryman League Division 1 North
Saturday 1st November 2008

Harry England reports...........

Cheshunt travelled to rock-bottom Witham Town with high expectations and a big win in mind. Debuts were handed to Clark Akers (signed from Harlow Town) and Michael Toner (recently signed from Witham who was an unused substitute against Wingate & Finchley).

With more heavy rain to contend with, another slippery pitch greeted Cheshunt, allowing a slick, fast-moving passing game.
Chances were few and far between for much of the first half with both sides having half-chances hit straight at the opposing goalkeeper or blazed wide or over. Chris Goodchild made a great save when Lee Johnson went through one-on-one, sticking out his foot to prevent a goal.

Clark Akers opened his scoring account for Cheshunt on twenty-four minutes after being put away down the left by a great ball from Yohance Lewis. The winger coolly slid his shot across the face of goal, the ball clipping the far post and going in.

Kaan Hawes had a hopeful effort for the hosts a few minutes later, as he fizzed a thirty-yarder along the floor. It slipped over Goodchild's body, and looked destined for the net, although rolled millimetres wide, the last real chance of the half.

Whatever Gordon Boateng said at half-time, it worked, as Cheshunt came flying out of the dressing room for the second-half with Daniel Bradford heading wide early on.

On fifty-five minutes the striker was rewarded with a goal as a long-distance shot took a deflection and nestled into the bottom corner to double Cheshunt's lead. Bradford also became the youngest player to ever score in the Ryman League at this ground two years ago playing for Ware against Witham, at just over sixteen years of age!

Witham had their best chance four minutes later as Matthew Hearn hit the crossbar. The corner came in and he slipped as he hit it, his effort pinging off the upright, and the same player was booked ten minutes after for a reckless lunge.

Kai Ramshaw hit along-range free-kick - a thunderous drive which looked destined for the net, but the goalkeeper pulled off a great save to deny him Cheshunt's third.

Witham were still pushing to get back into the game, and Johnson hit the cross-post after sixty-nine minutes, similar to Hearn’s effort a while before.

Cheshunt's third came from an unlikely scorer nineteen minutes from time. A Yohance Lewis corner came over and Ricky Dobson's header was blocked on the line, falling kindly to Shayne Mangodza, who stuck his foot in and poked the ball home.

There were doubts as to whether the game would finish with about a quarter of an hour remaining as the persistent rain had formed a wet patch in the middle of the pitch where the ball was becoming slightly slower. However, the game continued and deep into injury time Reece Prestedge put another past the goalkeeper to secure an emphatic win; a long range shot with a slight deflection finished off a 4-0 hammering of Witham.

Witham Town: Madden, Emery, Dawson, Nightingill, Tucker, Hawes (Moore 74), Johnson, Hawes, Edwards, Hearn (Glibbery 51), Robinson
Subs not used: Lowes, Smith, Nicholls

Cheshunt: Goodchild, Schillaci, Parry, Mangodza, Dobson, Harrison, Akers (Taylor-Forbes 45), Prestedge, Bradford (Taylor 68), Ramshaw, Lewis
Subs not used: Toner, Ricketts, Roberts.

Attendance: 64