City Content with away Point at Camberley

Published on: 26 Jan, 2025
Updated on: 26 Jan, 2025

Camberley Town (0) 1 Guildford City (1) 1

By Barry Underwood

As at Redhill in midweek, this was an archetypal match of two halves.

Guildford very much dominated the first half, whilst after the break Camberley were the stronger side creating a number of very good chances.

Nik Krokhin will be sorely missed. He has been outstanding in Guildford’s defence throughout the season.

For City, Jake Brown and Ben Drake were missing from the line-up to serve a suspension and for work reasons respectively. This was also to be Nik Krokhin’s last appearance for the club after signing for Isthmian Premier club Hendon.

For much of the first period City, who were playing down the slope, were camped in the Camberley half. Guildford’s passing game saw the ball moved out to the flanks for Deven Reid-Solanki and Manny Acheampong.

Camberley’s defence remained disciplined and despite the pressure clear chances on goal were rare. An early exception came on seven minutes when following a long throw Qasim Khan shot home from close range for his first goal for the club.

Shortly after City won a free kick just outside the box and Reece Robin’s effort forced Camberley keeper Ben Grummitt to save low at his left-hand post.

In a rare forward foray Camberley saw a header go wide of the post.

Both Reid-Solanki and Reece Robins shot wide of the target, and there was a sense at the interval that Guildford might rue not scoring the second goal that their play in the first half had deserved.

Deven Reid-Solanki on the ball

The second half was a different affair. Camberley were immediately on the front foot and two
minutes into the half they equalised.

A ball was played across the box and Stan Jones, looking suspiciously offside, netted with ease.

Camberley were looking dangerous, and Monty Conway saved a shot from an angle with his legs.

Around the hour mark Camberley missed two good chances. Jones, the goal scorer, again received the ball in a dangerous position but his hooked attempt went wide. Shortly after a missed ball in defence was lobbed wide.

With twenty minutes remaining Conway again saved well to keep City in the game. Guildford were limited to rare sorties forward, but they were unable to significantly trouble Grummitt in the home goal.

City’s keeper Monty Conway saves with Nick Krokhin minding his back.

Bad luck with Camberley’s “offside” goal was offset by Guildford’s good fortune when a defender handled the ball in the box whilst jumping to head the ball. There were vociferous opposition calls for a penalty, but the referee instead gave a free kick to Guildford for a push in the defender’s back.

The match concluded with scrappy play, both sides content with a point.

Team: Monty Conway, Sam Sesay, Ben Gambrah (Alex Rodway-Brown 59), Luca Le Page (Josh Fitzgerald-Smith 74), Nik Krokhin, Joe Atkin, Deven Reid-Solanki (Keondre Ellis- Vassell 87), Jaiden Chang-Brown, Reece Robins (Freddie Robins 85), Manny Acheampong (Dominik Vakulya 85), Qasim Khan.

Referee: Callum Edgecombe

Listen to Ian Newson Plested’s post-match interview with team manager Carl Taylor here: