Hampton & Richmond slipped 1-0 to Chesham United on Tuesday night in wet conditions, having conceded early to Alfie Williams, a goal which ended up sealing the game. HRBFC showed immense spirit and fight, especially in the second half, but couldn’t make it count.
The crisp air set the scene for the rescheduled fixture, the original game being cancelled for a frozen pitch. HRBFC started the game strong, poking at the visitors’ defence and trying to find their weak spots.
Forward Reece Grego-Cox created danger five minutes in, having picked the pocket of defender Connor Stevens and was through on goal, but went down on the edge of the box. The referee deemed no foul.
Harry Gardner came immensely close to scoring 20 minutes in, having driven a strong shot which rattled off the inside of the post after the keeper got a touch to it. The linesman’s flag went up after Grego-Cox chased down the rebound, and the goal went away.
After another strong opening from HRBFC, the away side took the lead a minute later. Alfie Williams drove the ball across goal into the bottom corner to open the scoring. A storyline which is becoming familiar.
Despite the setback, it didn’t deter support or efforts on the pitch. HRBFC continued on in a similar manner, and did not let their heads drop; a newfound sense of optimism was present amongst both the players and supporters.
As if the weather had been studying A-Level English, the heavens opened up soon after the visitors took the lead, with a heavy mist of rain coming down on the Bev to create a sleek surface for the ball to zip along. The weather punctuated the goal perfectly, creating an atmosphere indicative of a hard-fought result.
HRBFC would now have to battle their way back into this game, and the now cold and wet weather created the perfect catalyst for the home side, and fans, to rally around.
Grego-Cox then decided to go for the spectacular. He received the ball with his back to goal in the 26th minute on a fast break, turned, and spotted Chesham goalkeeper Ben Goode off his line. The striker launched the ball from the halfway line, but the goalkeeper backpedalled quickly enough to recover.
Half-time arrived, with the Beavers being down 1-0, despite the range of chances they had.
By no means was the home side being outplayed.
Immediately after the restart, the intensity picked up. HRBFC’s defensive line was parked on the halfway line for the first 15 minutes, and pressure was starting to build on Chesham United’s defence.
Paul Field made a series of tackles to prevent a Chesham counter-attack, after the visitors pumped the ball forward, trying to relieve some of the pressure. Field did enough to slow down the counter-attack and give his teammates enough time to recover, nullifying the counter.
As the game crossed the hour mark, it opened up. Both sides looking to get down the pitch as quickly as possible. The miserable weather made for a true battle of wills. Both sides dug deep and gave it everything they had.
As the game got to the 75th minute, Chesham United realised three points were on the line; rather than letting HRBFC back into the game, they decided to slow down the affair. The visiting side started playing for set pieces and were taking progressively longer at restarts.
Goode then proved his worth. A searching ball from Gardner, just on the halfway line, flew across the pitch and found striker Craig Fasanmade in the box, just eight yards out. The striker turned the cross on target, but the goalkeeper got out early and smothered the chance. It was the best chance of the game, with just seven minutes left.
The game finished 1-0 to the visitors. HRBFC played well and made chances, but were unable to make Goode work too hard for his clean sheet. Despite the result, there are many positives from how HRBFC played to take into the next game.
By Jake Holmes