Away Draw for City – Match Report

Published on: 29 Sep, 2024
Updated on: 29 Sep, 2024

Alton (1) 2, Guildford City (2) 2

By Barry Underwood

This was an entertaining encounter for the neutrals dotted around Anstey Park with end to end football and both sides dominating the game for periods of time.

The two teams looked better than their early season league positions suggested. Although Alton sat in 13th position prior to the game they had only lost twice in the CCL, and had gained draws against leading sides Jersey, Knaphill and Tadley.

Guildford looked really sharp early on. Leevi Bassett saw an early long-range effort go wide and it was the visitors who took the lead after just six minutes. A Darnell Jon-Peter long throw was headed on by Nik Krokhin and new signing Reece Robins acrobatically turned the ball into the net.

Guildford were looking dangerous every time they had the ball. A lovely passing move from right to left, including a flicked back heel, saw Reece Robins in space. He ran at the full-back into the box and was brought down as he went past the defender. There was audible contact but the referee amazingly thought otherwise.

Minutes later Manny Acheampong beat the offside trap and squared the ball to Reuben Duncan who was very disappointed with himself for side footing wide of the target.

The game quietened for a long period as Alton established themselves in the game. The action sparked again on 34 minutes when Darnell Jon-Peter curled a long-range effort wide.

Three minutes later the home side won a penalty for handball after a period of pinball in the box. The penalty looked a little harsh with Ben Drake having his back to the action. In any case, Owen Tanner stepped up to equalise from the spot. With half-time approaching Nik Krokhin headed over from a corner.

Then as the game moved into added time a Reece Robins cross struck a defender in the box, and again the referee pointed to the spot. Again, the decision looked slightly fortuitous. Reece Robins stepped up to convert and City led at the break.

Both sides had good chances in the early stages of the second half. Within a minute a powerful Alton effort heading to the top corner was brilliantly saved by Jacob Terry. Minutes later from a corner Ben Drake’s volley forced an acrobatic save from Adam Melville in the home goal.

Angel Zapata looked a constant source of danger on the right side, and his effort on 57 minutes saw Jacob Terry dive low to tip the ball round the post. From the corner ex-City player Tolu Ajayi-Obe headed goalward but Nik Krokhin managed to head the ball away from under his own crossbar.

Alton were applying pressure and they won the game’s third penalty on the hour. Again, Owen Tanner stepped up and slid the ball into the net.

In a rare break forward, Darnell Jon-Peter shot powerfully from an acute angle. Melville couldn’t hold the ball but City bodies in the box were lacking. It was a hard fought second period but Guildford started to concede possession rather too easily in the latter stages.

In stoppage time it seemed the home side were going to snatch a winner, but Ben Gambrah appeared from nowhere to clear a goal bound effort off the line.

Team: Jacob Terry, Alex Rodway-Brown (Jake Brown 62), Ben Gambrah, Ben Drake, Nik Krokhin, Nick Inwugwu (Luca Le Page 69), Reece Robins (Tywon Gray 85), Leevi Bassett (Malachai Cole 62), Reuben Duncan, Manny Acheampong, Darnell Jon-Peter (Yomi Obafemi 88).

Referee: Chris Binney

Attendance – 194

See Alton FC’s video highlights of the game, as posted on YouTube, here: