Chertsey Town 3 Cobham 2

The opportunity was taken to broaden the squad selection for this clash with the Division One side.

Running without a reserve side may have some advantages but a major drawback is that fringe players do not have so many chances to prove themselves.

It is fortunate, therefore that Chertsey’s Under 18 side can more than adequately fit the bill as a back up force for the first team as Jack Mazzone and Joe Taberer from the Junior squad started the game and goalkeeper Tom Webb joined in from the bench later on.

New signing Dominic Worthington was also included in the starting line up as a test in a central defending station. Steve Gibson, Steve McNamara and Andy Crossley were all on the bench although the latter two saw action late in the second half.

Introducing such a mix of players might have back fired and although the score line was eventually close, there seemed little danger that Chertsey would not ease forward into the next round.

A certain amount of caution had to be exercised against an in form Cobham who were stronger than last week’s Division One opposition, then provided by Feltham, and this was emphasised after only two minutes of play when the visitors were awarded a penalty kick.

Dominic Worthington fell and knocked the ball with his hand in a crowded situation right in front of the sticks.

The referee was unsighted but an alert linesman flagged but from his standpoint, it was too difficult to see if the ball had been stopped going over the line which spared Worthington from seeing a card of any colour.

More good fortune followed Chertsey for the spot kick from Rob Wilson lacked enough guile or venom to beat Liam Stone in goal and he was able to save the day for his side.

A relieved Chertsey soon went on the attack. A Jack Mazzone cross set up Gavin Bamford but hesitation resulted in the gap being closed.

That miss was soon set aside when on eight minutes, Town took a lead that was never surrendered.

Worthington threaded the ball through a gap at the approaches of the Cobham penalty area.

John Pomroy performed a dummy over the ball which then ran through the wrong footed defence for Marcus Moody to fire home.

A lose ball soon after, found Mazzone but his shot went wide. It was not until the 34th minute before Town struck again.

An exchange of passes between Moody and Bamford found the former on the goal line.

He cut the ball back for a Mazzone shot that was parried back to the edge of the penalty area where lurked Pomroy. He picked his spot and put the ball cleanly away from 20 yards for Chertsey’s number two.

There was better passing sequences than seen of late but no further first half goals. It was the visitors that opened up the game just three minutes after the break with James Alcock putting away a ball flighted in from the flanks.

The one goal gap did not remain for long and within five minutes, Chertsey had prised open a two goal space once more.

A ball delivered to Bamford put him in a run on the left side where he beat three men before blasting the ball home at an angle at the far side of Dan Whitby’s goal to make the game seem comfortable for the home side and allowed movement from the bench to be made.

This included Tom Webb going into goal for Stone who had received a knock in the first half, but also gave an ideal opportunity to test the sixteen year old’s mettle. He did not fail.

Bamford put in another shot that needed Whitby’s attention but then, with five minutes remaining, a weak back header was woefully short.

This allowed Carl Burne to cut in and slot the ball past Webb who had no chance of retrieving the situation.

The goal either perked up Cobham or gave Chertsey the heebeegeebees.

Whatever it might have been, Cobham displayed new found enthusiasm and Chertsey, for a long five minutes, were reduced to hacking the ball, anywhere, as long it was far away from their penalty area.

The ploy had its shortcomings as the ball kept coming back. But although a couple of tense moments were experienced, no clear cut chances were created and matters soon calmed down.

In fact Chertsey had the last say with a top corner shot from Andy Crossley which Whitby needed to claw away for a corner kick at a time when all danger for Chertsey had passed.

The win now pits them against either Hanworth Villa or Sandhurst Town in the quarter final, an away fixture which sets the tone for Chertsey as all subsequent matches in this season’s competition will be away from home.