Croydon v Guildford City

Saturday 24 October 2009

Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League

Croydon FC (1) 1 (Nigel Ikocodo 45+7)

Guildford City FC (0) 0

This scruffy win meant that Croydon leapfrogged over their opponents Guildford City and began to cement their status as a mid-table outfit – hopefully with better things to come.

Conditions were against this game ever reaching any dizzying heights, the wind swirled and eddied unpredictably and an injury to the groundsman’s box mower left the grass in a luxuriant but overlong state.

Pleasingly there were few surprises in the Croydon line-up that had done so well to come back from 2-0 to snaffle a draw. Talented young defender returned to the side after recovering from ‘flu only for midfielder Mark Roberts to be struck down, in addition Nigel Ikocodo was preferred in attack to Rhod Davis, who warmed the bench but not for long.

The opening exchanges would be best forgetton – if there had been anything at all to remember, the ball was out of play for long periods and when it was on the pitch one side merely gave possession away to the other. The only thing of note to happen in the 1st 20 minutes was when Davis came on for the injured Billy Chincharo in the 13th minute.

Croydon did have a sniff after 20 minutes or so when a defensive mix up let in Ikocodo but he didn’t have enough room to work a proper opening and his shot was blocked at the last.

With half hour gone Guildford had their only real spell of concerted pressure in the game. Skipper Rob Bartley reacted well to get in a last ditch tackle when it appeared that the visitors had breached the Trams off-side trap and the Dean Cupit got down well to a Lance Banton-Brown who got in a shot from an acute angle on the right.

After 45 minutes the Croydon defence was thrown into turmoil when keeper Cupit injured himself during a routine clearance, his injury appears to be less severe than 1st thought but as he was stretchered off centre half Bartley took over his jersey.

Junior Gyimah looked to have put his side ahead when he headed in 3 minutes into stoppage time, but his effort was, seemingly, unjustly scrubbed out for offside.

Then Ikocodo scored the vital goal 4 minutes later, it was a simple affair, a defender dawdled on the ball, Gyimah dispossessed him and passed to Ikocodo who squeezed it into the net. It was exactly the kind of goal that befitted the match.

Croydon improved in the 2nd half but didn’t have much to show form their endeavours, Gyimah nearly broke through as he latched onto a John Gladwin through ball but good defensive play thwarted him and entertainingly Bartley pumped a free kick towards goal from deep within his own half, off his line, Anthony Hall in the Guildford goal scrambled back just in time to make the save.

Stand in keeper Bartley was hardly tested, Guildford could only manage a couple of lame long shots on target and Geoffrey Boycott’s mum could have mopped them up, in fact the visitors were bereft of ideas and hardly made a decent fist of pressurising a Croydon defence that sat back too deep as they tried to protect their goal.

This wasn’t a game that will last long in the memory but it was the kind of 3 points that any side should be grateful for on an off day and one that showed a degree of confidence and perseverance lacking earlier in the season.

Croydon are at home again this weekend, their opponents on Saturday will be Badshot Lea.

Croydon: Dean Cupit (Brett Law 45); Lewis Goddard; John Gladwin; Louis Headley; Rob Bartley; Ntipadem Sophonie; Billy Chincharo (Rhod Davis 13); Jensen Grant; Junior Gyimah; Nigel Ikocodo (Jake Pitt 62); Mohamed Shuga’a.

Sub not used: Dexter Babalola.

Simon Hawkins