Chelmsford City (1) 3 Wraight 27 Lita 47 Knowles 90+3
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Turner 17
Attendance: 611
New Ground: 341
Admission: Pass
Programme: £3
Mileage: 114/5,639
Salvation came with the wife’s car thus enabling a first visit to Melbourne Park, home of Chelmsford City. An athletics stadium, there are some difficult viewing positions, one of which I found early in the second half and whilst repositioning straight after the whistle for the start of the second half, I missed the home side’s second goal. The main stand is an impressive structure but is a decent javelin throw from the pitch. Another seating area on the opposite side is closer but still eight lanes away. Behind one goal there is a covered standing area with half-a-dozen steps of terracing whilst the opposite end is open to the elements.
Given the country-wide problems with flooding and waterlogged pitches, Chelmsford not only did well to get the match on but the surface looked in remarkably good nick.
In a game of two halves, Tonbridge failed to make the most of their first half superiority and paid the price in the second period when, frankly, they didn’t turn up.
Tonbridge made the early running forcing a couple of corners, but Sonny Miles was needed to head off the line in eighth minute. Jason Williams was proving himself a nuisance to his markers but a clever back heel was not strong enough to worry the Chelmsford goalkeeper, Laurie Walker.
But the visitors took a deserved lead on 17 minutes when Christ Tiehi won possession and crossed from the right bye-line to Joe Turner, who touched the ball home from close range.
On 25 minutes, a free kick found the head of Rian Bray, who steered it wide. It was a chance to put a two goal deficit against a side running low on confidence and the missed opportunity was quickly to be rued.
Just two minutes later, a through ball got in behind the Tonbridge back line and Tom Wraight finished clinically.
Tonbridge still enjoyed the best of the half but were unable to get their noses in front.
On realising the my choice of watching the second half from in front of the main stand left me with a completely obstructed view of the far goal, a quick repositioning to behind the goal with the Tonbridge faithful wasn’t quite fast enough as Chelmsford went 2-1 up when a cross from the left found Leroy Lita at the far post to score.
The second half was not really much of a contest. Although Chelmsford were the dominant side they didn’t really create that much, whilst Tonbridge created absolutely nothing. The contest became a bit tetchy with a couple of skirmishes and this was highlighted in time added when Jonny Henly went forward for a last gasp corner that was cleared to Tony Knowles who shot into the unguarded net from the half-way line. His celebratory run to the opposing bench was both unnecessary and childish provoking another fracas.
A week to forget.
