Football Review – A Non-League Football Review

Relegation from the Combine Counties Football League Premier Division South came right down to the final game between Colliers Wood United and Sheerwater. The hosts began the day bottom of the table with 25 points and boasting a -43 goal difference compared to their opponents, who sat a place above with 28 points but with a -55 goal difference. The mission for Colliers Wood was simple: win and they avoided relegation, however, if Sheerwater avoided defeat, they were safe themselves.

The relegation battle also involved Guildford City, who in 18th, were sat on 28 points aswell, but held a -53 goal difference. This meant that if Colliers Wood United won and Sheerwater didn’t lose by more than 2, a defeat for City against Epsom & Ewell could’ve seen them relegated instead.

The game had a nervous feel right from the outset as both teams looked to avoid overcommitting too early. The keepers’ remained untested until around the 22nd mark when Sheerwater’s York unleashed a powerful shot, but Toby Mckimm got a strong hand to it and parried it away (Elsewhere, Epsom & Ewell had taken the lead against Guildford City). Before that, balls delivered into the box were cleared by each defence whilst the closest anyone got to opening the scoring came when a dangerous ball was delivered right across the face of goal, but no one was close enough for the visitors to tap home.

Both sides continued to probe each other defences, but neither could make their possession count. Sellick’s volley for the away side was fired over before a ball aimed towards the back post was headed out, with nothing come from the resulting corner. For Colliers Wood, a miscued cross was straight into the keeper’s hands before Coby Acquaye went down under a slight tough after being played through, but the referee waved away all penalty shouts.

The deadlock was broken just before half-time with Sheerwater taking the lead. A cross into the box was headed beyond the keeper by Chandler from close range. The hosts had looked to reply instantly, but a free-kick from Bailey Ellis was straight into the visitors wall and a strike from outside the box for Kacper Nozka was fired wide.

Despite an early corner for the away side, in which Colliers Wood managed to clear and a recycled ball collected on the second attempt by the keeper, it was the hosts who looked most likely to get the second goal. A good chance came in the 50th minute when the ball was played back inside the box, but the effort was fired just wide before another shot was blocked on the edge of the box. The leveller came just five minutes later though as James Allen lashed a shot into the net from the right hand side. That restored the table to how things stood at the start of the day.

The equaliser had given the Woods confidence as they sought to find the goal that would keep them up. A corner had been whipped in, but cleared as far as the edge of the box, but the shot that followed was blocked. Sheerwater had found a foothold as they also looked to get the win: A ball was delivered into the box, but held by the keeper, before the keeper pulled off an unbelievable stop, getting fingertips to an effort that really should have been put into the back of the net. The good play continued for the visitors as Milne did well to get beyond the full-back, but his cross into the box was claimed well.

A huge opportunity was presented to the hosts as they won a penalty with 15 minutes left to play, a simple case of the attacker being bundled over in the box after breaking beyond the defence, but keeper Mickley guessed the right way as he got a strong glove to the spot-kick. The save was huge in the context of the relegation battle as Guildford City had found an leveller, meaning had the goal gone in, sheerwater would have been facing the drop. Into the final ten minutes, the game became frantic.

Sheerwater had the better of the chances as they just sought to avoid defeat so late in the game. Milne tried his luck from distance, but saw his effort held comfortably before another two chances either saved or fired over the bar. Time was running out for the hosts as they came forward in the final minutes of the game. An effort from outside the box was fired over the bar before the ball was launched forward but the keeper held it well under pressure. Sheerwater had seen a Milne deflected cross aimed towards the far post, but there wasn’t a decisive tough to get the ball into the back of the net and the full-time whistle confirmed Colliers Wood United’s relegation to Division One after a tough season.