Team huddles This Sunday BotP headed down to the rolling hills of Chesham for a Southern Region Division One North clash between Chesham United Development and Kidlington Youth. Whilst nothing greater than pride and league positions rested on the game, it still promised to be a competitive encounter between two dies pushing to finish as high up the table as possible. At kick-off Kidlington held second spot, Chesham sixth. However, with only five points between them and the hosts having two games in hand, second spot was definitely still up for grabs for both teams.
It's been a while since I have been to Chesham, a town that I know relatively well having lived in nearby Beaconsfield and for a while having been a member of Chiltern Harriers Athletic Club. In fact, we used to train in the park just below Chesham's home ground at Chiltern Academy. There's certainly worse places to be on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Having said that, there was a rather chilly, gusty wind blowing across the pitch, which would have an effect on the game. Many thinks to referee Terry Catigoudis for allowing me to photograph the team sheets before kick-off.
It's been a while since I have been to Chesham, a town that I know relatively well having lived in nearby Beaconsfield and for a while having been a member of Chiltern Harriers Athletic Club. In fact, we used to train in the park just below Chesham's home ground at Chiltern Academy. There's certainly worse places to be on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Having said that, there was a rather chilly, gusty wind blowing across the pitch, which would have an effect on the game. Many thinks to referee Terry Catigoudis for allowing me to photograph the team sheets before kick-off.
Chesham attacking It was Chesham, kicking towards the town end of the ground, who started the brighter against a Kidlington team that was only able to name one substitute. The home side immediately set about playing their brand of football, which involves short, sharp passing movements focused around their central midfield. Perfect for the artificial surface. They also had the wind in their favour this half.
Despite the strong start from Chesham it was Kidlington who got their noses in front as early as the fourth minute when Abi Haynes decided to let fly from all of 25 yards. Her dipping drive flew over Pippa Hiles and nestled in the net. 0-1.
Undeterred, Chesham were soon back on the front foot with Chloe Timms testing Emily Murphy just a minute later. Kidlington goal scorer Haynes then turned provider, setting up Courtney Sumner but this time Hiles was equal to the effort.
The wind was starting to cause issues for both teams now but mostly for the visitors. Chesham had quite quickly seen the difficulty Kidlington had getting the ball out of their half and had started to press higher, cutting off short balls, and making the goalkeeper or defenders go long. This had the effect that the ball was coming straight back at the Greens, a point that goalkeeper Emily Murphy pointed out in no uncertain terms. The erratic gusts of wind were also causing Chesham to overhit passes as well though. The conditions were clearly tricky to say the least.
On the quarter hour, however, the wind acted in favour of the home side as they levelled the game up. A long ball caused all sorts of problems for the home defenders. Chesham striker Emma Nolan gambled on the bounce which completely deceived Emily Murphy as she came off her line, leaving Nolan to roll the ball into an empty net. 1-1
By this point in the game Chesham had started to dominate possession. Niamh Euman, who was demonstrating her skills picked up in Chesham's National League side, was pulling all of the strings in central midfield. Kidlington didn't appear to be able to get close enough to her. Having said that, despite their possession, Chesham didn't stress Murphy again until just before the half hour mark. First of all Emily McNamee had the keeper scrambling across her goal only for the ball to be inches the wrong side of the post and then, a minute later, Chloe Timms got free on the left before trying to curl a shot into the far corner, only for Murphy to adjust her feet well and make the save look quite comfortable.
With ten minutes to go until the break, Chesham came even closer to edging in front. A ball into the penalty area caused chaos before being stabbed goalward only to be blocked on the line by Kidlington defender Ines Piaget-Thompson, sparking a bit of a scramble in the 6-yard box that the hosts could not convert before the ball was hacked clear. Chesham were really ramping up the pressure at this point. Their high press was continuing to give Kidlington problems and when the visitors tried to go longer Haynes and Sumner were left isolated and outnumbered.
Chesham then produced their best move of the game down their left flank. Emma Nolan dropped into midfield to receive a ball before flicking it out wide, setting Chloe Timms on her way. Timms drove towards the area before squaring for Nolan, who had continued her run, only to see the strikers first time effort just clear Murphy's bar. Lovely football from Chesham. There was still enough time for Timms to once again sting Murphy's palms, before the referee blew for half-time.
HT Chesham United Development 1 Kidlington Youth 1. Despite going ahead, Kidlington would be pleased to go in all-square after being put under the cosh by a Chesham side using the conditions to their advantage. As a coach and father to a budding central midfielder, I really wished my daughter had been able to come along to watch Niamh Euman's display. Always available. Always wanting the ball. Always seeming to have time. Kidlington really needed to close her down or they were going to be made to pay in the second half.
Despite the strong start from Chesham it was Kidlington who got their noses in front as early as the fourth minute when Abi Haynes decided to let fly from all of 25 yards. Her dipping drive flew over Pippa Hiles and nestled in the net. 0-1.
Undeterred, Chesham were soon back on the front foot with Chloe Timms testing Emily Murphy just a minute later. Kidlington goal scorer Haynes then turned provider, setting up Courtney Sumner but this time Hiles was equal to the effort.
The wind was starting to cause issues for both teams now but mostly for the visitors. Chesham had quite quickly seen the difficulty Kidlington had getting the ball out of their half and had started to press higher, cutting off short balls, and making the goalkeeper or defenders go long. This had the effect that the ball was coming straight back at the Greens, a point that goalkeeper Emily Murphy pointed out in no uncertain terms. The erratic gusts of wind were also causing Chesham to overhit passes as well though. The conditions were clearly tricky to say the least.
On the quarter hour, however, the wind acted in favour of the home side as they levelled the game up. A long ball caused all sorts of problems for the home defenders. Chesham striker Emma Nolan gambled on the bounce which completely deceived Emily Murphy as she came off her line, leaving Nolan to roll the ball into an empty net. 1-1
By this point in the game Chesham had started to dominate possession. Niamh Euman, who was demonstrating her skills picked up in Chesham's National League side, was pulling all of the strings in central midfield. Kidlington didn't appear to be able to get close enough to her. Having said that, despite their possession, Chesham didn't stress Murphy again until just before the half hour mark. First of all Emily McNamee had the keeper scrambling across her goal only for the ball to be inches the wrong side of the post and then, a minute later, Chloe Timms got free on the left before trying to curl a shot into the far corner, only for Murphy to adjust her feet well and make the save look quite comfortable.
With ten minutes to go until the break, Chesham came even closer to edging in front. A ball into the penalty area caused chaos before being stabbed goalward only to be blocked on the line by Kidlington defender Ines Piaget-Thompson, sparking a bit of a scramble in the 6-yard box that the hosts could not convert before the ball was hacked clear. Chesham were really ramping up the pressure at this point. Their high press was continuing to give Kidlington problems and when the visitors tried to go longer Haynes and Sumner were left isolated and outnumbered.
Chesham then produced their best move of the game down their left flank. Emma Nolan dropped into midfield to receive a ball before flicking it out wide, setting Chloe Timms on her way. Timms drove towards the area before squaring for Nolan, who had continued her run, only to see the strikers first time effort just clear Murphy's bar. Lovely football from Chesham. There was still enough time for Timms to once again sting Murphy's palms, before the referee blew for half-time.
HT Chesham United Development 1 Kidlington Youth 1. Despite going ahead, Kidlington would be pleased to go in all-square after being put under the cosh by a Chesham side using the conditions to their advantage. As a coach and father to a budding central midfielder, I really wished my daughter had been able to come along to watch Niamh Euman's display. Always available. Always wanting the ball. Always seeming to have time. Kidlington really needed to close her down or they were going to be made to pay in the second half.
Cloe Woodward strikes a free-kick Only a minute into the second half Chesham showed their intent when Hana Hetherington, now moved into a midfield role from left-back, crashed a shot against the Kidlington bar. However, with the wind now favouring the visitors, it was Chesham's turn to have to work out a way to play into the weather. Kidlington had also seen the first-half danger and were getting closer to Euman. Having said that, Kidlington were still not able to thoroughly test out Pippa Hiles. Just before the hour mark there was a passage of play that saw a chance at both ends. First of all Liv Thacker tried her luck from range but put the effort wide. A minute later, Hetherington had another effort up the other end, with the same result.
Although Kidlington were seeing much more of the ball, Chesham's style of short passing was at least relieving the pressure much more than their visitors managed in the first period. When Chesham did get out of their half, they also looked quite dangerous. Just past the hour Emma Nolan had a run on goal from the right but her shot from the edge of the box was always just drifting wide of Murphy's right-hand upright. Five minutes later, after losing her marker, Euman had enough space to play the pass of the game to once again set up Nolan who was a matter of inches wide of giving her side the lead.
With 20 minutes remaining Kidlington were awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area, right of centre. It must have been a whisker away from a penalty. Abi Haynes, the player who was fouled, was inside the box when she went down but the referee deemed the offence to have taken place just outside. To be fair, there wasn't too much in the way of complaints from Kidlington. Cloe Woodward stepped up and thumped the free-kick goalwards but straight into the gloves of Hiles. Three minutes after that though, Kidlington were celebrating taking the lead back and it was down to them employing the same tactic as Chesham in the first half. Pressing high up the field, Courtney Sumner won the ball back deep inside Chesham territory before sweeping a left-footed lob over Hiles. 1-2. The goal inspired the Green's top scorer and, just a few minutes later, her snapshot on the turn whistled just over the home bar with Hiles beaten. Not that Kidlington were having things all their way. A minute after Sumner's effort Sophie Timms once again left the Kidlington bar rattling with a drive from the edge of the box. It was loking as if Chesham's luck may have deserted them but, in the 81st minute, it came back in spades. Chloe Timms put in a low cross towards the front post but with no striker pressing, it looked a simple task of either Murphy falling on it or the covering defender smashing it clear. However, there seemed to be some confusion between defender and goalkeeper and, somehow, the ball trickled into the net. Whether it was an own goal or if Timms can claim it, I'm not sure. Whatever the case, it was all-square at 2-2
FT Chesham United Develpoment 2 Kidlington Youth 2. On the overall balance of play a draw was a fair result. Both sides had chances to win it, with Chesham hiting the woodwork twice. The result combined with Wycombe's thunping 6-1 defeat of Milton United emans that Kidlington drop to third place below the Chairgirls. Chesham remain fourth with three games remaining.
The Greens have a long wait for their final league game at home to Beaconsfield. This is scheduled for May 5th. Chesham will be back in action on the 14th April when they host Milton United at The Chiltern Hills Academy.
Chesham United Development: 1.Hiles, 2.Oxenham, 5.Lewis(c), 6.Wynn, 3.Hetherington, 16.Sellars, 4.Euman, 7.West, 10.McNamee, 11.Timms, 9.Nolan. Subs: 17.Porter, 12.Crawley-Trice, 8.Smith, 19.Franklin
Kidlington Youth: 1.Murphy, 8.Woodward, 7.Clements, 11.Piaget-Thompson, 6.Keal, 12.I.Thacker, 18.O'Thacker, Cripps, 17.Dunbabin, 15.Haynes, 16.Sumner. Subs: Antonen
Although Kidlington were seeing much more of the ball, Chesham's style of short passing was at least relieving the pressure much more than their visitors managed in the first period. When Chesham did get out of their half, they also looked quite dangerous. Just past the hour Emma Nolan had a run on goal from the right but her shot from the edge of the box was always just drifting wide of Murphy's right-hand upright. Five minutes later, after losing her marker, Euman had enough space to play the pass of the game to once again set up Nolan who was a matter of inches wide of giving her side the lead.
With 20 minutes remaining Kidlington were awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area, right of centre. It must have been a whisker away from a penalty. Abi Haynes, the player who was fouled, was inside the box when she went down but the referee deemed the offence to have taken place just outside. To be fair, there wasn't too much in the way of complaints from Kidlington. Cloe Woodward stepped up and thumped the free-kick goalwards but straight into the gloves of Hiles. Three minutes after that though, Kidlington were celebrating taking the lead back and it was down to them employing the same tactic as Chesham in the first half. Pressing high up the field, Courtney Sumner won the ball back deep inside Chesham territory before sweeping a left-footed lob over Hiles. 1-2. The goal inspired the Green's top scorer and, just a few minutes later, her snapshot on the turn whistled just over the home bar with Hiles beaten. Not that Kidlington were having things all their way. A minute after Sumner's effort Sophie Timms once again left the Kidlington bar rattling with a drive from the edge of the box. It was loking as if Chesham's luck may have deserted them but, in the 81st minute, it came back in spades. Chloe Timms put in a low cross towards the front post but with no striker pressing, it looked a simple task of either Murphy falling on it or the covering defender smashing it clear. However, there seemed to be some confusion between defender and goalkeeper and, somehow, the ball trickled into the net. Whether it was an own goal or if Timms can claim it, I'm not sure. Whatever the case, it was all-square at 2-2
FT Chesham United Develpoment 2 Kidlington Youth 2. On the overall balance of play a draw was a fair result. Both sides had chances to win it, with Chesham hiting the woodwork twice. The result combined with Wycombe's thunping 6-1 defeat of Milton United emans that Kidlington drop to third place below the Chairgirls. Chesham remain fourth with three games remaining.
The Greens have a long wait for their final league game at home to Beaconsfield. This is scheduled for May 5th. Chesham will be back in action on the 14th April when they host Milton United at The Chiltern Hills Academy.
Chesham United Development: 1.Hiles, 2.Oxenham, 5.Lewis(c), 6.Wynn, 3.Hetherington, 16.Sellars, 4.Euman, 7.West, 10.McNamee, 11.Timms, 9.Nolan. Subs: 17.Porter, 12.Crawley-Trice, 8.Smith, 19.Franklin
Kidlington Youth: 1.Murphy, 8.Woodward, 7.Clements, 11.Piaget-Thompson, 6.Keal, 12.I.Thacker, 18.O'Thacker, Cripps, 17.Dunbabin, 15.Haynes, 16.Sumner. Subs: Antonen
More Chesham pressure
The Ground
Chesham's Development team play their home games on a 3G pitch at Chiltern Hills Academy, a school just to the North-West of Chesham town centre. To be honest, there's not a great deal to describe as football ground, it's a school after all. There is plenty of parking, split between two car parks in front of the school buildings. It's not immediately obvious where the 3G pitch is located. teher are several grass pitches (mainly rugby) just to the side of the school but the football pitch is behind the building. From the top car park (2nd entrance if coming from the town), there is a gate in the corner of the car park that allows access to the rear of the building. Spectators are only allowed on one side of the pitch, the one nearest the school. It's a standard 3G set-up, enclosed by a meshed green cage. Being on the side of a hill, the wind does blow in across the pitch. At this tiem of year you may also find the sun directly in your eyes for the entire game, so take a cap or sunglasses.
Ground Number: 401
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
The Ground
Chesham's Development team play their home games on a 3G pitch at Chiltern Hills Academy, a school just to the North-West of Chesham town centre. To be honest, there's not a great deal to describe as football ground, it's a school after all. There is plenty of parking, split between two car parks in front of the school buildings. It's not immediately obvious where the 3G pitch is located. teher are several grass pitches (mainly rugby) just to the side of the school but the football pitch is behind the building. From the top car park (2nd entrance if coming from the town), there is a gate in the corner of the car park that allows access to the rear of the building. Spectators are only allowed on one side of the pitch, the one nearest the school. It's a standard 3G set-up, enclosed by a meshed green cage. Being on the side of a hill, the wind does blow in across the pitch. At this tiem of year you may also find the sun directly in your eyes for the entire game, so take a cap or sunglasses.
Ground Number: 401
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
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