Chesham United 2-1 Hampton & Richmond Borough (National League South)
It was my birthday on Sunday, so we spent the weekend in Norfolk with the in-laws and the dog, not much football intake other than getting knocked out of ‘last man standing’ following Newcastle United’s home loss to West Ham on Monday night.
Tonight I’m back at it though, I’ve been asked to travel to Chesham, a club I seen for the first time only this season when at Salisbury, a team that since my watching, reached the FA Cup first round where they hosted Lincoln City beneath the Monday night TV cameras, under James Duncan and Michael Murray they sit mid-table in the National League South, and host a Hampton & Richmond side also comfortable in the middle of the pack.
Founded in 1921 as Hampton FC, the Beavers changed their name in 1999 and were an Isthmian League mainstay for many years from 1973 onwards, after winning the Premier Division in 2007, a spell in the Conference South lasted five years before another four back in the Isthmian League, since 2016 however, Hampton & Richmond Borough have competed in the National League South with their goalkeeper Alan Julian for the last four years, a large part of that spell, ahead of taking the managerial reigns upon retiring his gloves at the end of last season.
I’ve never been to Chesham, a quirky little market town on the edge of the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire, so I’ve left early with plenty of room for Tuesday night traffic stoppages, down the M1, off at Hemel Hempstead, over their iconic, but confusing Plough Roundabout, and across the A41, apparently near ITV’s Dancing On Ice Studios, entering the town down the Nashleigh Hill before cruising down Broad Street and eventually pulling up on Amy Lane where I park up.
The Venue
It’s dark and leafy, on the edge of town the entrance to the ground situated on a roundabout, up a narrow track, there’s a cricket club behind a wall on my right, an uninspiring looking gym on my left, as the concrete panelled fences appear of the Meadow, a rustic, dated, but simply beautiful home of Chesham United.
I’m asked by a steward to walk around to the far turnstiles where my name should be on a list, which I oblige, but on entrance the guy in the turnstile doesn’t have a list, so lets me in anyway.
Inside it sets me back, concrete, open, bowl-like you enter elevated in the corner of the ground and get a panoramic of the slightly cut up November playing surface, to my right is terracing with a small seated stand behind on half way, brick wall in front, propped up by posts, behind the goal a small covering lined by an eight foot slab wall which is missing the odd panel, to my left, behind the goal a burger truck, elevated, I walk down behind the goal the terraced rows of concrete are wide five or six levels high, around to the toilets and tea bar next to a covered standing area with the back drop of tall trees.
I’m instantly in love, it’s not perfect, its neglected but brutally beautiful, to think it hosted football league opposition and the TV cameras here just a few weeks ago, they must have washed their hands on the way out?
The Game
By now I’m sat in the small, seated stand which is set back and high up with an excellent view, the players come out from the clubhouse behind it, walking down the steps to the pitch at the bottom, and the action is underway, Chesham in claret & blue, Hampton & Richmond changed white shirts with blue shorts and socks.
The away side look decent, they do the pressing, they knock it around well, comfortable on the ball back to front, number 4 Mike Atkinson makes them tick, left back Kristian Campbell always keen to get forward, in Mauro Vilhete they have an experienced but diminutive playmaker who is hard to pick up, they have some sniffs but Ben Goode is too good, he makes a couple of big saves before the home side take the lead.
A long throw in, not that long, but the first real opportunity to chuck a ball into the box is provided to Jack Cawley on 32, he wipes the ball with a towel on the side of the pitch and chucks it towards the front post, it bobbles around a bit before Bradley Clayton smashes home low. It’s been a game of good quality, good football from both sides, when all it needed was the old-fashioned ugly long set piece.
The Score
It’s not been a nasty game, but T’Sharne Gallimore is booked for a foul on half way, a soft one, but perhaps the Referee is nipping it in the bud early by getting the card out to state his intention?
At half time you feel the visitors were the better side, but Chesham had their moments, as two old boys behind me discuss their love for Liverpool, in accents that you wouldn’t associate with scouse, there's a pipe smelling aroma in the background, the weather cold, but not yet crisp, enough for hand warmer settings to be set to number one, a couple of levels below maximum.
Hampton & Richmond Borough are out early, doing warm ups on the pitch, you feel they’ll come out guns blazing second half, and have the lions share early doors, before Gallimore slips on the ball, he sticks out a leg and fouls his man, free kick yes, but yellow card no, Mr Referee however has already got his number, ‘that’s your second’ he thinks as he licks his lips, before sending the player off for two of the softest tackles you’ll ever see in a game of football. I’m seething, I’m neutral, but that is an awful decision by the Referee, the game has had probably two fouls in it, Gallimore walks up into the changing rooms behind me, and no sooner does he sit down and whip his shirt off for an early shower, will he hear a cheer from the away fans through the other side of those brick walls, a penalty conceded and James Roberts levelling up.
That goal on 52 looks to be a defining moment, Chesham have ten men and Hampton & Richmond are all square, they'll go on from here and win comfortably won't they? But for all their pretty play, they lack goals, which for the two fellas behind me “is why they’re mid table” one says.
Chesham make subs and with those changes things happen, they get men behind the ball and attack on the break, Mitchell Weiss does well to chase down a lost cause, he holds up the ball on the left channel and crosses low to Nathan Minhas, lively, he’s just came on, a twist and a turn he shoots low inside the area, into the net, a second for the hosts who have the lead, you can’t help feeling sided towards the ten men, who will now hang on for their dear life with fifteen to play.
The last moments are the away side passing the ball side to side, probing for opportunity in the opposition's third, not really finding answers against a well drilled ten, not even seven minutes of injury time can deter Chesham from defending it out, when the whistle blows it’s relief, but they have deserved their win with an impressive second half performance.
The Stars
The home side rode their luck on occasion in the first half when Ben Goode came to the rescue, he’s a good goalkeeper giving assurance to the back four. I quite like young right back Avan Jones, decent size, decent pace, decent on the ball, Jack Connors in midfield was gritty, and Mitchell Weiss led the line well.
The away side had much more of the football, left back Kristian Campbell, a journeyman at the level, showing his experience with good quality to defend on the front foot, by attacking, Mike Atkinson was their go too deep in midfield, Alfie Williams a little further forward had moments, Mauro Vilhete also had moments, tricky and teasing, he can beat players but his end product lets him down, whilst the longer the game went on, tubby number nine James Roberts became more influential, dropping deep to get on the ball, he couldn’t however add to his goal from the penalty spot.
The Verdict
Chesham is a beautiful town, the Meadow is a beautiful old ground, there’s a realism about coming to a game here, the smart old southern locals who like their football, they don’t particularly love their team, but they like their team, they’ll certainly take a win, but it’s not really important in the grander scheme of enjoying life, because it’s more about having that idyllic walk up to the ground, having a beer and a smoke outside the clubhouse, a chat with the old pal who they haven't seen for a week or so. The two sat behind me talked through the whole 97 minutes and more, largely about anything but Chesham United, one of them said to the other one… “Isn’t it your birthday next week”… The reply… “Yeah, next Wednesday”… To the response “I thought so… I’m not getting you owt… I just wanted to know when it was”.
The Teams
Chesham United: Ben Goode, Alex Lafleur, Jack Cawley, Steve Brown, Brad Clayton (Nathan Minhas 63), T’Sharne Gallimore, Mitchell Weiss (Karl Oliyide 90), Jack Connors, Joe Grant (Callum Adebiyi 56), Samson Esan (Ashley Lodge 55), Avan Jones.
Hampton & Richmond Borough: Ted Curd, Kristian Campbell (Renedi Masumpu 84), Mike Atkinson, Josh Keeya (Jonathon Page 66), James Roberts, Jake Gray (Ibrahim Jalloh 78), Jack Taylor, Archy Taylor, Mauro Vilhete, Dominic Revan, Alfie Williams (Alex Wall 84).
7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 26th November 2024, the Meadow, Chesham (att 558).
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