City Stop Losing Run, Away Against Promotion Contenders

Published on: 28 Jan, 2024
Updated on: 28 Jan, 2024

Knaphill (0) 1, Guildford City (0) 1

By Barry Underwood

Two goals in second-half stoppage time saw both sides depart Redding Way with a point a piece.

For Guildford this was just reward for a magnificently disciplined performance against a team sitting in second place and with just three league defeats all season.

For Knaphill, with their majority of territorial possession, their late equaliser was fully deserved and much needed for their promotion push.

Too often this season Guildford have failed to gather the points that their performances have often deserved. But gratifyingly this wasn’t one of those occasions.

Knaphill made a strong start and after three minutes they struck the post from 25 yards. City were under pressure, and it took an excellent tackle from Jake Heighes to halt a rampaging run in the box.

But throughout the match Guildford posed a threat on the counter-attack, and after nine minutes Anthony Ogbanufe nudged the ball past a last defender to bear down on goal. Bizarrely however Naz Regragui also went for the same through ball and in the confusion the shot when it came went harmlessly wide.

City goalkeeper Mac Chisholm enjoyed his best game for Guildford between the sticks making a handful of stops in the first half, one an acrobatic diving save just before the break.

But it wasn’t one-sided and Naz Regragui surged forward into the box where he was unable to get his shot away. Mike Coppinger’s effort from outside the box went wide and didn’t trouble the goalkeeper.

The second period was an intense half of football. Knaphill dominated possession and, from a
succession of corners, the ball was continually being fired into the Guildford box. But full credit to City’s young defence for standing up to the pressure.

Early in the half Naz Regragui dispossessed a defender out wide but lacking support the chance came to nothing.

On the hour, Knaphill shot wide on the turn, and on 70 minutes Owen Simms brilliantly cleared an effort off the line via the crossbar.

Almost immediately City’s Regragui threatened again but his shot under pressure lacked power. Ben Mitchell arrived from the bench and immediately posed problems for Knaphill’s backline. His break on 75 minutes saw him shot low and Jos Barker saved low own in the corner.

Knaphill were turning the screw in search of the three points. Two headers from corners zipped just over the bar, and Mac Chisholm saved brilliantly from a shot on the turn.

Two minutes into stoppage time Ben Mitchell broke away again, and this time he shot low past the advancing Barker to give the visitors a late lead.

The sizeable Guildford support was jubilant. But only for three minutes. Knaphill fired yet another high ball into the box and this time Tom Drinkwater met the ball at the far post to head powerfully home from close range.

Team: Mac Chisholm, Owen Sims, Callum Sullivan, Jake Heighes, James Glover, Jamie Hilton (NiallStillwell 67), Darnell McDonald, James Whiting (Conor Stillwell 63), Nasim Regragui, Mike Coppinger (Ben Mitchell 72), Anthony Ogbanufe. Unused subs: Kai Beck, Lewis Taylor.

Referee: Alfred Finch-Critchley

Attendance – 203

Listen to Ian PLested’s post-match unterview with City manager Tristan Bell here…

Next match…

Share This Post