Ten wins from Wembley
For the third Saturday in a row I decided on a little road trip for my choice of game. I had two or three in mind for differing reasons, local, nostalgia and Step 3 vs Step 2. In the end I plumped for nostalgia and headed up the M23 to Chipstead.
It’s so far turned out to be a game in every round of the FA Cup for me and Chips hosting East Grinstead Town was to be the latest port of call. The reason for nostalgia, around 30 odd years ago I was involved with my late father in the Tandridge Youth League, which took in Kent, Surrey, part of South London and a bit of Sussex.
The league held a lot of the end of season cup finals at Chipstead so come the end of April and beginning of May, many a night was spent there under lights well looked after by the then chairman Keith Rivers. The club were always challengers in those days at the top of the Combined Counties league and eventually did take the plunge into what is now the Pitching In Isthmian League.
Two defeats from two in the league hasn’t seen the Chips start too well in the South Central Division with just a single goal scored, cup success of course has been slightly better. Their opponents have only played one league game so far, a resounding 4-1 win whilst knocking out Premier Division opponents Worthing on penalties in the last round to set up this tie.
Having been present at the Worthing game, I knew what to expect from the Wasps on Saturday afternoon, strong across the back four, pacey and strikers who make a nuisance of themselves, Chipstead very much an unknown quantity to me.
The early running so to speak came from the visitors, Jerry Amoo willing to take on his full back at every opportunity and with the hosts struggling to get a hold of the ball the attacking threat was limited. Indeed, Grinstead thought they were in front on 13 minutes with Chipstead just about clearing the ball off the line to keep the scores level.
It took until the 34th minute for the breakthrough to be made and came very much against the run of play for the hosts, Tom Collins sent clear, rounded the keeper before jinking back and slotting home between the two defenders on the line. Jack Beadle almost made it a second for the home side moments later but his shot deflected wide of the target.
The second half followed a pretty similar pattern, the home side content to concede possession and play on the counter while the visitors worked their way through midfield out wide to get the ball into the box. The task got harder for Grinstead on 64 minutes after Jerome Beckles picked up a yellow card from a poor challenge with it being his second of the game his afternoon was over.
Despite the numerical advantage, Chips still struggled to string some movement together and really had to defend their one goal lead resolutely, the visitors were handed a lifeline on 71 minutes, Amoo’s spot kick though well saved by Chips keeper Oliver Pain. Grinstead though almost getting themselves back on level terms with 12 minutes to go but that dogged determination kept the visitors out once again.
The hosts looked the more likely to add to their tally in the final ten minutes and George Membrilera thought he had made the game safe in the last minute, but his powerful drive was superbly tipped over by Adams in the Grinstead goal.
The Chips held out through stoppage time and were rewarded with a trip to Hayes and Yeading in the Third Qualifying Round next Tuesday evening. A couple of players stood out for me throughout the game, Amoo with his pace and direct running should have created a few chances for striker Louis Theophanous, but the extra touch taken more often than not resulted in the ball not reaching the middle of the box whilst Chris Boulter marshalled the home side’s backline to keep the clean sheet intact.
So, the first game of October in the bag, great to get back to a ground I’ve not been to for so long and whilst things looked a little different from three decades ago, it’s still a lovely little club to visit and another doing all they’ve been asked to do for fans to be inside their ground watching their team……….