City’s Poor Finishing Costs Them Two Points

Published on: 4 Apr, 2025
Updated on: 3 Apr, 2025

Guildford City (1) 2, Sandhurst Town (1) 2

By Barry Underwood

A very dry and bobbly playing surface, caused by heavy sanding of the pitch,wasn’t necessarily conducive to a flowing game of football, but credit to both sides who played their part in what was an intriguing game of football.

For Sandhurst points on the board were essential as the battle at the foot of the table hots up in the final weeks of the season.

Guildford could well have been three goals to the good at the interval, but the season long problem of finishing chances struck again. On nine minutes a fine through ball from Luca le Page gave Dom Vakulya the chance to take the ball into the box but covering defenders nullified the threat.

The Fizzers, as Sandhurst are known, first sight of goal came 10 minutes later when a low cross was miscued, and the shot went wide. Minutes later a City corner went right through the six-yard box without a touch. On 26 minutes City took the lead and a well-worked goal it was.

A superb pass on the turn set Manny Acheampong free down the left. Cutting in he found Deven Reid-Solanki whose low shot went into the net off of a defender. It should have been two with minutes. A Sam Sesay cross went through the six-yard box somehow evading the efforts of two City players.

Sandhurst equalised after 34 minutes. City’s defence was stretched and Brighton Morrison calmly stroked home a volley. Almost immediately Guildford could have retaken the lead. Sam Sesay found Manny Acheampong who did well to jink through on goal, but the City striker lost his balance, and his effort went well wide of the target.

Sandhurst showed their intent almost immediately after the restart when a flighted shot from 20 yards struck the City crossbar, It bounced down but luckily for City did not cross the goal line and was eventually cleared.

In response, Kai Zini tried to pick his spot from a similar distance but his effort went wide. Guildford edged ahead again on 56 minutes. Jaiden Chang-Brown was taking the ball across the edge of the box when he was brought down with no real threat to goal.

But a penalty it was, and Deven Reid-Solanki stroked the ball home. With a raft of substitutions from both sides, City especially became disjointed.

Jaiden Chang-Brown got in a tangle in the box trying to clear the ball on the difficult surface, and Sandhurst shot inches over the bar. The Fizzers were looking more dangerous the longer the match went on.

Shane Qoloni used his pace before forcing Olly Davies into a sharp save. Then deep in stoppage time Sandhurst found space on the right, and from a low cross Qoloni turned the ball past Davies’s despairing dive for a share of the points.

Team: Oliver Davies, Sam Sesay, Benji Gambrah (Alex Rodway-Brown 59), Ben Drake, Alex Stingelin, Luca Le Page (Jake Brown 59), Deven Reid-Solanki (Josh Adjei 69), Jaiden Chang-Brown, Dominik Vakulya (Qasim Khan 59), Manny Acheampong, Kai Zini (Reece Robins 69).

Referee: Dylan Ing

Attendance – 76

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

Next match…

Guildford City vs Fleet at 3pm Saturday, April 5 at The Spectrum

Table from Non League Matters website.

Form Guide (based on last six matches)

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