Fleet Spurs 1 Chessington & Hook United 2 (Combined Counties League Division 1)

This was yet another disappointing result for Spurs in a game that was their fifth consecutive defeat in the league. Their disappointment was magnified by the fact that they started off so promisingly, looking much the better side at the start. However, after Fleet had scored an early goal, Chessington replied with a quick double and the home side was unable to get back into the game, despite trying their utmost.

Only 13 minutes had gone when Matthew Hayler, probably Spurs’ best player on the day, headed a superb left-wing cross from Louis Lindsay past Woodcock and just inside the near post. Chessy were creating very little until the home defence were unable to deal with a long throw from the right and Ellis Lentell scored with a close-range shot past the helpless Mike Cadle and into the net. That was after 18 minutes, and two minutes later a poor clearance by the Spurs defence fell to a visiting player and Deji Adeosun collected the resulting through ball, rounded Cadle and slipped the ball home. Chessington were now on top, seemingly first to almost every loose ball, but neither side was able to create many chances and the score remained at 1-2. Although this reflected the play reasonably well, Fleet felt at the break that they were still in the game, particularly if they managed to reproduce the form they had showed in the first quarter of an hour of the game.

Alas for Spurs, it was not to be. The second half was a dour and rather niggly affair with the teams cancelling each other out. Even when Chessy sub Arafat Kabuye was dismissed on the hour mark for a foul on Rob Parrott, Fleet couldn’t break through the visitors’ defence and the game petered out with very few chances created by either side and no further score.

Spurs’ next game is on Saturday when they visit Tooting Bec (kick-off 3.00) for the return fixture of the game three weeks earlier. They will need a much better performance and possibly some luck to pick up any points. Fleet have dropped to 15th place in the division and are in need of a good result if they are to stop their slide down the table.

Spurs team: Mike Cadle, Rob Parrott, Liam Jupp (sub Kleshay Grant 86), Kay Hampson, Jamil Saleh, Doug Noble (sub Naman Nasir 68), Jack Church, Louis Lindsay (sub Jake Bellmaine 81), Matt Hayler, Adam Bellmaine (capt), Andre Smith