Mole Valley SCR 2 vs 3 Chessington & Hook United

For the first time in many months, I would guess, the same starting eleven was named and there was only one change on the bench with Kyle Green being brought in for Shane Sinclair.

The squad from Saturday deserving of the opportunity to go again.
With the hosts desperate to take something from the match they based their game on a direct approach coupled with a competitive edge in the midfield area. This seeming to stifle any real fluidity to proceedings leaving the opening twenty minutes as nothing more than a battle to assume some degree of control.

Gradually though we did become the better side and a series of reasonable openings came to nothing as the final shot, cross, pass, you name it, lacked the necessary quality to trouble the home side. In fact even when presented with dead ball opportunities around the hosts penalty area our usual standard was far from met.

Defensively we coped reasonably well with the usual back four of Pitt Holley West and Ellis seeming to grow in confidence and unity and Sharpe having another good game behind them.

At the break unsurprisingly it was stalemate but the half time adjustments seemed to spark us into life at the restart.

Now looking more purposeful we began to dominate and the lead was ours fifteen minutes later. Buari`s hold up play with his back to goal and thirty yards out was followed by a clever turn away from his marker that saw him left side of the penalty area before crossing low for Zak Graham to smash home from ten yards out.

This seemed to be the catalyst for us to go on as the game was now being spent almost entirely in the Mole Valley half although a few long punts down the pitch from the home keeper kept our back four occupied.
With a second goal likely to be enough given the context of the game we spurned two golden opportunities.

Firstly Zak Graham fired into the side netting when well placed and then following a fine one touch move involving Cole- Bolt Gooden and Coombes Heath was set free with just the keeper to beat and bizarrely chose to pass to Malik Buari whose tame effort was pushed to safety.

On seventy minutes we were punished for these missed chances when a tamely struck free kick went under the wall and was prodded home by former Chessington trialist Martin Smith. This setback certainly unsettled us and the back four who had looked composed all evening were suddenly looking rattled as time and again one ball was causing our undoing. Sharpe rescued us once but could do nothing to prevent the second goal for Mole Valley when another long ball resulted in a goal scoring chance that was tucked away calmly on seventy-five minutes.

Galvanised by this we upped the tempo and immediately looked to get after a nervy looking home side who were closing in on victory.
With just over ten minutes remaining tenacious play from Heath who refused to give up the chase won the ball back from a hesitant goalkeeper who had too many chances and in doing so presented a clear chance to Malik Buari who slotted home into an unguarded net from the edge of the box.

Having regained control and hurt by our apparent failings we pushed for a winner and with five minutes to go we got it.
Clever play down the left involving Graham, Ellis and Buari saw Ellis` fine pass cleverly controlled and moved by Buari who was upended in the box.

Buari converted his second penalty in two games taking him to four goals for the season.

Late changes saw the introduction of Tyrone Roberts and Kyle Green who both were making their competitive debut for the club.

Another three points completing a good week as we moved into mid table.