MATCH REPORT: Chippenham Town 1-0 Hungerford Town – Sat 27th Aug 2022
The Bluebirds recorded their first goal and victory of the season courtesy of Luke Russe’s seventy seventh minute headed effort from a corner.
The Bluebirds recorded their first goal and victory of the season courtesy of Luke Russe’s seventy seventh minute headed effort from a corner.
The visitors shaded the first half and Chippenham were indebted to keeper Will Henry for keeping a blank sheet.
In the second minute Henry just managed to punch away a long James Rusby throw that had evaded everyone as it bounced in the area.
A minute later the Crusaders Adam Little hit the bar and Henry had to be alert to dive on the loose ball. Henry then held on to Liddle’s weak shot.
The Bluebirds first chance did not materialise until the quarter hour mark when Jordan Young carried the ball from his own half before seeing Jed Ward equal to his shot.
On seventeen minutes a low cross saw Henry push away Rusby’s low shot, whilst a minute later Joe Hanks’ effort was blocked.
On twenty five minutes Seb Palmer-Houlden scuffed his effort wide whilst three minutes later Chippenham lost skipper Spencer Hamilton to injury.
Just past the half hour Hungerford’s Kameron English headed wide from a deep cross.
Seven minutes before the break Young’s shot was handled on the edge of the area and his resultant free kick deflected into Ward’s arms.
A minute into the second half Young saw another free kick go wide and a further minute saw Hungerford’s Joel Rollinson tap the ball home but the Crusaders celebrations were cut short as referee Mr Sandoe was called over by one of his assistants and after a lengthy discussion the effort was ruled out for off side.
On fifty five minutes Will King’s effort from distance drifted wide of the Hungerford goal and three minutes later Palmer-Houlden’s shot just cleared the bar.
Midway through the half Alfie Santos’s shot from out wide was saved whilst another Palmer-Houlden effort was blocked at the expense of a corner.
As Hungerford appeared to tire in the heat the Bluebirds took control forcing four corners in as many minutes and from the final one Russe, whose fierce shot had resulted in that corner headed home to score Chippenham’s first goal of the season.
Two minutes later Hungerford substitute Nico Muir saw his shot blocked, whilst Bluebird substitute Callum Gunner’s shot from a tight angle was saved by Ward.
Five minutes from time a defensive mistake allowed Rollinson a sight of goal but his rising shot cleared the bar.
Chippenham finished on the front foot as Russe blazed over following a stoppage time corner and a fierce drive from Palmer-Houlden drew a fine save from Ward.
Chippenham: Will Henry, Eddie Jones, Mat Jones (Callum Gunner 58), Spencer Hamilton (Landon Golding 28), Will Richards, Alefe D’Abadia, Jordan Young (Joe Parker 84), Joe Hanks, Seb Palmer-Houlden, Luke Russe, Will King subs not used: Tom Mehew, Noah Coppin
Hungerford: Jed Ward, Rhys Tyler, Curtis Angell, Matt Berry-Hargreaves, Jerry Gyebi, Louis McGrory (George Smith 71), James Rusby, Joel Rollinson, Kameron English (Ben Allen 71), Adam Liddle (Nico Muir 77), Jake Evans subs not used: Leighton Thomas, Harrison Bayley
Ref: Lewis Sandoe
Ass Refs: Colin Hubbard, Graham Pearce
Match Report by Wil Hulbert
