Chertsey Town 3 Sleaford Town 2

Absorbing in that everything was soaked in the incessant rain, and absorbing with the fluctuating nature of the tie that was not settled until two minute shy of a couple of hours play.

The FA Vase often brings out a charmed atmosphere and this full blooded exchange was an archetypical example of the magic this competition generates.

First it looked like Chertsey Town were going to cruise through, then back came Sleaford to look favourites until the last fifteen minutes of normal play before the home side levelled up.

Chertsey looked the more likely winners during extra time but the result was open to the end. The foul weather that brought on the early dusk heightened the dramatic effect.

Steve Goddard’s rehabilitation looked complete with a sharpness on the attack in only his second start since mid September, following almost three months of injury.

John Boswell, also in his second start in the Curfews colours after his move from Walton & Hersham, also looked comfortable, but in defence.

Marcus Moody returned after a one match ban but did not tick as regular as normally experienced.

Both sides had a goal a piece disallowed; Chertsey’s in the opening couple of minutes and Sleaford’s in the second half. But it was the home side that took the early honours with pressure on the Sleaford goal.

However, it was not until the 25th minute that a breakthrough was forced when a slack throw in on the half way line was intercepted to set up a well worked goal.

Andy Crossley, in the centre, found John Pomroy whose neatly laid the ball off into the path of Steve Tyson. He struck the ball first time on the edge of the penalty area to see it fly into the net, beating goalkeeper Andrew Scott all the way.

Instead of setting up a firm foundation to launch an emphatic win over a side that had just lost four league games in succession, including a demoralising six goal thrashing just four days previously, Town immediately fell back which allowed the visitors to, not only return the score to status quo, but then to dominate. One of Chertsey’s faults was to conceded too many petty free kicks.

Sleaford’s equaliser came within two minutes of Chertsey’s lead and out of a free kick given for leaving a trailing foot from a tackle that had already seen the ball cleared.

The ball reached Gary Waters who steered the ball, low just inside Liam Stone’s left stick, with the goalkeeper blinded from the strike by a battery of players.

Now inspired, Sleaford sized the initiative and almost took the lead but this time Stone, at full length, was able to tip aside another of Water’s strikes, that looked destined to hit the Chertsey net at exactly the same spot as his earlier success.

Chertsey too came close at the other end but the ball was cleared off the line with Scott well beaten.

The half time whistle was a welcome sound for manager Spencer Day for it provided the opportunity to rally his troops.

But the game’s pendulum failed to swing in Chertsey’s favour after the second half restart. It was Sleaford who got off to a flyer in fact, with a goal on 47 minutes.

It came almost by stealth with Waters chipping the ball over Stone’s head and into goal despite the keeper only being a couple of feet off his line.

The surprise was full as near silence greeted the goal, promoting the erroneous perception that the ball had gone over the bar, the rolled down the outside of the Chertsey net.

Shocked at the outcome, Chertsey continued to yield to Sleaford’s winning desires and they had chances to extend their lead which surely would have finished off any Surrey renaissance.

Waters came close to a hat trick when he again tested Stone but this time the Chertsey man was equal to the shot and just managed to tip the ball over his cross bar. Waters was again in the Sleaford vanguard with a fierce shot at a gaping goal that swerved wide with the over powerful strike.

Chertsey, meanwhile, still had difficulty in recharging their attacking movement. Too many offside situations dampened off promising looking attacks which were becoming more reliant on long Stone clearances with the hope of picking up the second ball.

This uncharacteristic feature was perhaps a sign of increasing desperation as the clock ticked on with little of an equalising goal in prospect.

But then, with twenty minutes remaining, it was as if a rusted dripping tap had been freed up for Chertsey began to get there passing game together once more despite the detiriating playing surface. The reformation had arrived!

Changes too were made from the bench to give a more attacking formation with midfielder Ollie Teacher coming on for defender Steve McNamara, then Andre De-Lisser replacing Steve Crossley, a straight tactical swap.

De-Lisser’s strength on the heavy surface paid instant dividends and the Sleaford defence were hard pressed to shrug him off with his raking runs.

The ball was soon peppering the penalty area as the Lincolnshire men’s game went ‘very flat’. The break back for Chertsey came on 75 minutes with a corner kick that was swung in tight from the right.

Pomroy effected a glancing header and although the ball was bundled off the goal line, Gavin Bamford found it first and prodded it home from jus a few feet out.

Chertsey took more control. Signs of desperation were then evident on the Sleaford bench with their fast tiring side.

Teenage wunderkind Miles Hunter, with his 17 goals from just 13 league appearances this term, was kept on the park despite limping with his hamstring strain in his manager’s hope of producing a match winner. He did not!

The game was taken into extra time whereupon another blow was delivered to the travellers when full back Matt Hodgkin was immediately dismissed with a second yellow card for another very late tackle.

The extra man and fitness began to take its toll but although Chertsey looked likely to overtake for a winner, Sleaford still looked capable of resuscitating a win on the break.

Chertsey pressed harder but could not cross the line and a replay looked favourite until another confused penalty area melee was formed.

An undisciplined ball flew about the goal mouth but was eventually tamed by Steve Goddard at close quarters only two minutes from the final, final whistle.

He bundled the ball home, ran to the corner flag, then executes a perfect celebratory forward summersault as the whole ground erupted in exultant relief

The spectacle may not have been in the Cecil B De-Mille class but this more modest Surrey epic was just as entertaining for the home crowd whose appetite has been more than whetted for another Chertsey attempt at breaking past their quarter final bogie round, even though there are still two more hurdles to negotiate first even before that distant opportunity arises.

Chertsey Town have drawn South West Peninsular League side Plymouth Parkway in the fourth round of the FA Carlsberg Vase, the last 32. The Devon based side currently sits in a mid table position. They beat Arundel , 4-2 at home, after extra time, in the previous round. Chertsey Town overcame Sleaford Town from Lincolnshire in round three, 3-2 at home, also after extra time.

Tie to be played Saturday 16th January.