City Unable to Find the Net

Published on: 15 Dec, 2025
Updated on: 15 Dec, 2025

Tadley Calleva (1) 2 Guildford City (0) 0

By Barry Underwood

This match was like so many others this season. Tadley certainly were lively up front as you would expect them to be with a striker of Kieran Rodgers calibre.

But City was far from a subservient struggling side. They posed a strong threat going forward and they had a stonewall penalty waved away when Joel Oppong was brought down in the box.

There was no lack of spirit either as the City lads chased and closed down until the final whistle. But for all of their chances on goal there was sadly no end result which for the majority of the
season has been a problem.

With twin strikers in Tobi Shoyoye and Emeka Okakpu, Guildford looked to get the ball forward early. In just the second minute this resulted in Shoyoye laying the ball off to Naison O’Neill in space in the box, but his effort was blocked at full stretch by a defender.

Tadley looked lively from the start with Alex Miller on the right seeing a lot of the ball. A 20-yard piledriver wasn’t held by Marvin Woods but the City keeper bravely saved a second effort.

Guildford settled and Emeka Okakpu won a 50/50 challenge with the Tadley goalkeeper on the edge of the box but frustratingly nobody was able to convert the loose ball.

On 39 minutes, Tadley opened the scoring when Kieran Rodgers raced away to shoot past Wood and inside the far post. Minutes later Tadley could have made it two, but a toe poked effort went wide.

After the break, City were fast out of the traps. Anybody lingering in the clubhouse over their half-time beverage will have missed three good chances on goal.

Within seconds of the restart Luca Le Page tried to pick his spot in the corner but his effort went just the wrong side of the post. Emeka Okakpu’s flick was saved by Tadley’s keeper Donnacha Burke for a corner, and on 49 minutes Tobi Shoyoye set up Okakpu whose pile driver was acrobatically
saved by Burke.

Then, as so often, City were made to pay for not scoring by Tadley notching their second.

Man of the match Joel Oppong

The ball was played across the edge of the box where Sheldon Wright’s shot on the turn found the corner of the net. City might have immediately responded when the impressive Joel Oppong was upended in the box only for an unmoved referee to wave play on.

Tadley still looked lively and themselves shot inches wide on the hour. Oppong’s last kick of the game saw a challenging cross right through the danger area but alas there was no one able to take advantage.

On 76 minutes, from a corner Ben Drake’s shot from an angle was cleared off the line and you knew that, once again, this was not to be Guildford’s day. In the final moments Tadley fluffed a good chance in front of goal, but a third would have rubbed things in just a little too much.

Guildford’s League position makes their next fixture against Thatcham Town, just two places above them in the table, important. City fans will be hoping for a change in fortune.

Team: Marvin Wood, Naison O’Neill, Tobi Falodi, Ben Drake, Alexander-William Nwadike, Alex McLean, Joel Oppong (Robbie Mundow 76), Luca Le Page (Ben Matthews 63), Tobi Shoyoye (Reece Samuels 63), Emeka Okakpu (Bamidele Esan 63), Alex Rodway-Brown (Callum Hamnett 44).

Referee: Sobastien Frazer

Attendance – 94

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