Whyteleafe 1 Chipstead 2
Ryman League Division 1 South
Tuesday 15th April 2008
This
was one of Whyteleafe's best performances against a local rival for some time
and still they managed to lose it.
Chipstead had just four efforts on goal all match and scored two of them.
Inevitably, the two goals came from former Whyteleafe players rubbing salt into
the home fans' wounds. The
visitors first chance came in the opening minutes when Rob Tolfrey was forced
into making a spectacular reaction save from them then on it was almost all
Whyteleafe possession and goal opportunities. Sam
Clayton had more chances than anyone all night and started off by seeing and
8th minute shot blocked by team-mate Danny Platel. A Steve Causon
long range free-kick evaded everyone in the box, Chipstead keeper Daryl Dennehy
could only flap at the ball which went narrowly wide of the far post. A strong
run down the right from Clayton ended in a great shot which Dennehy just
fingertipped away and Sean Rivers arrived a fraction of a second too late to
follow up. On
19 minutes Clayton saw good shot go wide after some excellent Whyteleafe build
up play and shortly afterwards Chris O'Flaherty ran a good 40 yards with the
ball but just ran out of steam before hitting a shot. Dennehy
had to contend with another Clayton shot on the half hour and then, two minutes
later, totally against the run of play Chipstead made an unlikely breakthrough.
They won a corner down the right and former 'Leafe left-back Chris Head knocked it over to
his onrushing team-mate Danny Oakins who headed firmly home at the near post.
Six
minutes later, Whyteleafe had a gilt-edged opportunity to get back on terms when
Sean Rivers was upended in the box but Sam Clayton's penalty effort, for all its
power, was at a height that Dennehy found easy to parry
away. 'Leafe
continued to press for the equaliser and Callum MacLean saw a good shot go high
an wide before the break. Whyteleafe
were still well on top in the second half. Chris O'Flaherty shot just wide on 55
minutes and two minutes later a Maclean corner was met by Jon Cartledge just
yard from the goal-line but somehow he headed the ball back passed the near post
and away for a goal kick. Disaster
struck for the home side on 65 minutes.
A defensive howler let in Scott Simpson who made no mistake firing past
Tolfrey to double his side's score. Dennehy
made an excellent save on 74 minutes to deny O'Flaherty from a free-kick and,
such was the keeper's activity all night, play was held up for several minutes
as he was treated for cramp.
A
corner immediately followed this treatment and, as Chipstead failed to clear,
Chris Head made a nasty late lunge which resulted in a yellow card and a
free-kick 25 yards out for 'Leafe.
Maclean took it and his shot went through the wall but Dennehy did well
to smother it. Whyteleafe
eventually scored six minutes from time when Joel Greaves reacted quickest to a
ball played forward. He met the ball before Dennehy could get there and lifted it
high over the keeper and it looped into the net. As
'Leafe pushed on looking for the equaliser, Chipstead had their fourth chance of
the game when Aaron Cole-Bolt found himself in space and shot from some
distance. It evaded Tolfey who was relieved to see it rebound off the post and
away. Adam
Broomhead had the last chance of the evening but his shot from a Sam Clayton
cross was blocked and the visitors celebrated an unlikely victory when the final
whistle arrived. Whyteleafe:
Tolfrey, Causon (Riley), Jabbie, Spencer, Broomhead, Maclean, Platel, Cartledge
(Méité), Rivers
(Greaves), Clayton, O'Flaherty. Unused subs: Hackett,
Dilley.
