Marine 2 Chesham Utd 1

Match Report from Pete Crockett

SUPERB MARINE

With visitor’s Chesham United knowing a win could put them within one point of the league leaders and Marine not having won one of their first fourteen league games the feasibility of anything other than an away victory seemed unlikely. However, as the late Jimmy Greaves used to say “football is a funny old game”. Swindon Supermarine turned the form book upside down to win a thrilling match with a performance that was particularly impressive because they out footballed a top of the table team.

Chesham United fashioned the first opening of the game when in the 4th minute Ogochukwu Obi was played in on the right side of the box. However, the striker’s effort to beat Conor Brann on his near post resulted in his effort rippling the outside of the side netting.

Seven minutes later Marine took the lead. Liban Ibrahim threaded an inch perfect ball into the path of Levi Irving’s astute run. The Marine forward advanced to the goal line and drilled a low cross to the back post where Dave Burgess-Sims nonchalantly tapped the ball into the empty net. The quality of the goal was impressive with the movement of the Marine players leaving the visitor’s defenders chasing shadows.

Some five minutes later Marine created another opening. Joe Tumelty picked up the ball on the edge of the area. He powered into the box but was being closed swiftly by visiting defenders. On the stretch he could not get a clean strike away and the ball was easily gathered by Zaki Oualah in the visitor’s goal.

Marine were dominating the early exchanges and largely limited Chesham United to shots from distance. Two efforts from long range posed a greater threat to the Swindome than the Marine goal. The one moment that caused the home support alarm was an excellent effort from Bruno Carvalho Andrade who cut in from the left flank and curled his shot from 20 yards just wide of Conor Brann’s far post.

Marine were playing with an assuredness in possession that was a pleasure to behold. It was no surprise when in the 31st minute they doubled their lead. Building from the back Marine skilfully worked the ball up to the top third of the pitch. Liban Ibrahim got to the goal line and hit an excellent cross to the back post; Levi Irving then rose like a Phoenix to nod the ball across goal; and the anticipating Dave Burgess-Sims nonchalantly tapped the ball home from close range.

Still Marine poured forward and in the final quarter of an hour of the first half created yet another opening through good passing and movement. Sam Turl was set clear on the right flank. His cross was met by a glancing Levi Irving header from 12 yards that slipped just past the post.

At half time the expectation of the home support was that the Chesham United players would be the recipients of some harsh words and home truths from their management team. The consensus was that even with a two-goal lead Marine were going to have to battle hard for that elusive first league win.

It certainly proved to be the case and in the early stages of the second half “the Generals” poured forward with gusto and Marine were having to defend resolutely. However, for all their opponent’s pressure it was Marine who came closest to scoring when a Jake Andrews free kick from just outside the box forced an excellent save from the visitor’s keeper who, diving to his right, parried the shot away.

Whilst Chesham had plenty of possession in the Marine half they were struggling to create many clear openings. The closest they came to scoring in the first fifteen minutes of the half was when a right wing cross from Bruno Carvalho Andrade was met by a firm header from a Chesham striker. The ball looked destined to nestle in the bottom corner of the Marine goal, but Conor Brann got down well to his left to push the effort out for a corner.

However, in the 61st minute the visitors did half the deficit. The lively Bruno Carvalho Andrade hit a low cross from the right across the face of the Marine goal. It found Ogochukwu Obi who from close range drilled his low shot past both Conor Brann and the despairing lunge of centre back Ioan Richards.

For the remainder of the half the visitors stormed the Marine goal, but the home team were defending resolutely. They tackled, blocked, chased, and pressed with admirable tenacity and courage. This was a team digging deep to secure their first league win of the season.

Marine were also still a threat going forward and a mazy run from Zack Kotwica saw his effort from 12 yards clear the bar. The clock above the dugout seemed to barely change; the added time seemed to last for an eternity; supporters nails were gnawed to the quick; but when the final whistle blew the celebrations of players, management, and supporters was joyous. The duck had been broken and that “millstone around the neck” of not having secured a league win this season was vanquished.

This was a magnificent Marine performance. Every player dug deep and gave their all – they were all players of the match. An American professional body builder called Branch Lane once said, “the harder you work and the more you sear and bleed for a win the sweeter that victory tastes.”

There is no doubt this will have been a sweet tasting victory for all connected with Swindon Supermarine. However, as that old idiom goes “one swallow doesn’t make a summer” and it is now important that the team builds upon this success by using it as a springboard to advance up the league table.

Editors Marine Star Man: The whole team
Editors Chesham Star Man: Bruno Carvalho Andrade
Attendance: 189

Line Ups

Swindon Supermarine
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: Blue & White Hoops
Line-up: 1. Conor Brann 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Mat Liddiard 5. Ioan Richards 6. Jake Andrews 7. Zack Kotwica 8. Liban Ibrahim 9. Dave Sims-Burgess (15. Brad Gray 70’) 10. Joe Tumelty 11. Levi Irving (12. Toby Raison 83’)
Subs not used: 13. Louis Evans, 14. Malik Sesay
Goalscorers: Dave Sims-Burgess 11’, 31’
Cards:
Levi Irving 61’, Jake Andrews 69’, Liban Ibrahim 72’
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CHESHAM UNITED
Colours: All Yellow
Manager: James Duncan & Michael Murray
Line-up: 1. Zaki Qualah 2. Connor Roberts (11. Kaine Kennedy-Sinclair 90’) 3. Lewis Rolfe (16. T’Sharne Gallimore’) 14. Eoin Casey 5. Steve Brown (c) 17. Callum Adebiyi 6. Ryan Upward (12. Jordan Edwards 82’) 8. Harry Rush 7. Bruno Carvalho Andrade 9. Ogochukwu Obi 10. Zack Joesph
Goalscorers: Ogochukwu Obi 63’
Subs Not Used: 4. Kieran Murphy, 15. Avan Jones
Cards:
Ryan Upward 19’, T’Sharne Gallimore 86’
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Match Highlights

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Courtesy of Mike Wray from Supermarine TV

Match Gallery

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Courtesy of Alex White Photography

Team Sheet

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Match Officials

Referee: Tom Staten
Assistant Referees: Sam Wyatt, Gareth McMahon