MATCH REPORT: Chelmsford City 2-1 Chippenham Town | National League South | Saturday 23rd August 2025

Harry Minton reviews our visit to Essex

An action packed second half in which we saw us Bluebirds take the lead in Essex, only for the hosts to come back and win the game late on.

There wasn’t just late drama with the goals though, as Angelo Harrop’s Clarets were reduced to ten men going into injury time after substitute Kai Corbett was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The home side could have really seen themselves in front right from the kick off in the first half. A long searching ball from Josh Castiglione was almost volleyed into his own net by the skipper Luke Haines but thankfully his clearance just skied the roof of the net and out for an early corner for Chelmsford.

Both sides were trying to find little openings for any chances on goal early on in this game. Caine Bradbury linked up well with Tom Owen-Evans in the middle of the park before the latter threaded the ball through to Henry Sady. Sady, on his first competitive start in a Bluebird shirt tried to find Ezio Touray in the middle of the penalty area, though it was well cleared by the Chelmsford defenders.

Saint Lucian international Shiloh Remy proved to be a tricky customer up against left back Ethan Vaughan in the game. Remy got the better of Vaughan on this occasion though his cross was too close to Will Henry who gathered the ball with no pressure from any of the Chelmsford attackers.

We had to deal with a lot of pressure at times during the first half as Chelmsford were trying to turn the screw. This time it was the defensive midfielder Archie Tamplin who drove with the ball from the centre circle all the way to the box. He could have scored a wonderful solo effort if it wasn’t for brave and committed defending from Will Henry.

Tamplin was also a key operator for the Essex based side as he found Jack Barham free in space. The new summer signing’s curling effort was just wide of the far post. 

Then Owen-Evans had a rare opportunity to try and get the travelling bluebirds off their feet, though his effort was rather tame and was comfortably collected by Chris Haigh. 

We had a glorious opportunity to take the lead right before half time. Alovely through ball from Sady and Touray was racing through on goal. Haigh, with all his experience however, made himself big and produced a smart save as he just kneed it out for a corner. But both teams went into the half time break level in a goalless draw. 
HALF TIME Chelmsford City 0-0 Chippenham Town

Whatever was said to the team by Gary Horgan at half time seemed to work as we came out in the second half and saw a lot more chances fall our way. Sady really did impress on his first start as he played a good ball down the line towards Bradbury, his cross was looking for Touray who just couldn’t quite get there ahead of David Longe-King who turned it behind for a corner. 

Where we won another corner from that resulting set piece as Tom Mehew’s effort from range was deflected behind off of a defender in claret and blue. 

Mehew was involved in the action again as he sent Owen-Evans on his way into the box. TOE’s effort neatly found the bottom corner, however Haigh did get another strong hand to it. 

You could see we were really piling the pressure on the home side in this second forty five, Touray went for the acrobatics from the corner and Haigh was there again to produce another outstanding save. 

We finally got our breakthrough we so very much deserved in the second half. The goal came on 67 minutes when Vaughan played a long, arrowing ball towards the back post. Bradbury was there who cleverly headed it back across goal, where Sady was waiting to nod in from close range. A deserved goal for the striker on his first start, brought in from Melksham in the summer. The goal was certainly coming and those Bluebirds fans that had made the long trip to Essex were rewarded with a goal. 

Now it was Chelmsford’s turn again to pile on the pressure, as the substitute Corbett cut inside before unleashing a strike which was well saved by the boot of Henry in the end. 

The hosts were still pushing for that equaliser as we entered the last ten minutes of the ninety. Corbett once more with a strike from the edge of the area and it was a brilliant endeavour from right back Lewis Colwell who really put his body on the line to make sure that went past the post and out for a corner.

From that corner however, it was slack marking from us Bluebirds as the skipper for the hosts Dominic Odusanya had a free header that flew into the back of the net past Henry. The Clarets were level with about eight minutes to go. 

And those eight minutes proved enough time for there to be a winner in this game. Corbett, who had been influential since he came on, had the ball out on the left hand side. It looked like he originally attempted to cross the ball into the box, however it went all the way through and into the top corner. A fantastic goal to win the game, nothing Henry could have done about it.

Corbett looked to have had a really good game since coming on, but he did ruin it during his celebrations for the late winner. The former Peterborough United academy player took his shirt off and after already being yellow carded for a late challenge earlier on in the game, he was given his marching orders late on by the referee. 

The man advantage for us did not prove to be a problem for the hosts however, as after seeing the game out for the last five minutes of injury time, secured a massive three points at home after coming from a goal down in the second half to win it late on in dramatic style.

FULL TIME Chelmsford City 2-1 Chippenham Town

CTFC: Will Henry, Lewis Colwell, Ethan Vaughan, Luke Haines (C), Jac Poffley, Tom Mehew (Jake Evans 86), Reece Fleet, Tom Owen-Evans (Quevin Castro 90+2), Caine Bradbury (Olaf Koszela 74) Henry Sady, Ezio Touray (Sol Wanjau-Smith 68)

Unused: Joshua Sawyer, Cole Fleming, Harlee Vozza