MATCH REPORTS SEPTEMBER 2024
Cobham 2-1 Tooting
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For the second successive Saturday, Tooting found themselves facing a two-goal deficit before a late rally brought faint hopes of a point. But, unlike the previous weekend against Corinthian-Casuals, the Terrors’ shortcomings were more in evidence as it was hard to argue we deserved anything out of this game. Cobham are a good side, who topped the table earlier on in the campaign, and could be in the shake-up for a play-off place come the end of the season. If we are to join them, we need to find togetherness and consistency to go alongside the individual talents we undoubtedly possess. Cobham were out of the blocks quickly, and fired an early warning across our bows with a shot fired into the side netting. Shortly after, the unlucky Jamal Jimoh - who has not really had a proper chance to show us what he can do - went down and, after receiving treatment, left the field to be replaced by Hussein Siklawi with less than ten minutes gone. Max Oldham managed to force a good save from home keeper Rourke Pickford, as did Ash Sheppard just before their first goal, but these were rare encroachments into Cobham’s penalty area as Tooting were regularly being forced backwards, and outpaced on the flanks. So it was no surprise when the Hammers went in front, just after the half-hour - though it was a goal that should have been avoided. Defensive discipline was missing as Tooting were outpaced on the left side again, and Toby McKimm will feel he should have done better as a shot from Reis Stanislaus looped over him. Tooting were forced to resort to long-balls which came to nothing as the home side continued to dictate the play for the rest of the half.
Cobham began the second period still on the front foot, and we were fortunate to avoid going two down right at the start - an offside flag stopping the Hammers’ forward in his tracks as he set himself to pull the trigger. But the Terrors were still leaving worrying gaps at the back which Cobham were eager to exploit. And the warnings were not heeded, as the hosts continued to look the more likely to add to the scoring - and finally did so just past the hour; defensively we were caught out again, and a low ball cut back from the byline was seized on by Derick Hayford who drilled home the second to double the home advantage. At this point, it looked like we might end up on the wrong side of a thumping, but suddenly the pattern of the game changed. Maybe Cobham were content to try and sit on the lead and not take un-necessary risks, but if so it was a risky strategy - the Terrors started to make inroads consistently in the opposition half of the field, and ten minutes after their second goal, we were back in it as Max Oldham finished off a sweeping move by toe-poking home from close range. Cobham were nervy now, and eager for the final whistle. As the game neared stoppage-time, a free-kick was won on the edge of the penalty area by the Terrors, and Conor Melody’s measured effort left Pickford clutching at thin air as it evaded him, but came back off the post to deny us an unlikely - and frankly undeserved - point.
Tooting 0-2 Epsom & Ewell
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Tooting slumped to a disappointing home defeat, as in-form Epsom & Ewell repeated their success of last season, taking the points home from Imperial Fields with relative ease in the end. The Salts has lost their first five matches, but came into this one having recorded two wins on the spin; after a reasonably bright opening from the Terrors, the game declined as a contest and Epsom’s greater togetherness and determination eventually carried the day. A common feature of Tooting’s three league wins prior to this one had been an early goal, which helps to settle players down and enable them to play their natural game. Had they managed it here, it might have had the same effect. Ash Sheppard was the first to stretch his legs with a shot, but it was cleared before any Tooting player could react. The early pressure continued, and Isy Nzelo fired just over from the edge of the box with the visitors pinned back at this fledgling stage. Epsom’s first venture into the Tooting half saw some neat passes exchanged, but with players well-placed in the area, an overhit cross did them no favours, and Tooting easily snuffed out the danger. The game became a little scrappy as the Terrors enjoyed plenty of possession, but could do little of any note with it; Epsom, at this point, were content to keep their powder dry and wait patiently for an opening. As the half ticked away, the Terrors were beginning to run out of ideas, and Epsom started to get more of a foothold in the game; Toby McKimm was alert to repel a close-range shot, and then did similar to a longer-range effort as the defence became ragged. Toby was kept on his toes as he had to punch clear from danger, as the half ended goalless.
In our previous home outing, we’d trailed Corinthian-Casuals by two at the break, before some half-time adjustments saw a rather different (and much improved) Tooting side in the second half. The hope was that something similar would transpire here, as Elliott McKimm and Deji Adeosun replaced Isy Nzelo and the debut-making Aaron Smith-Joseph for the second period. Unfortunately, it had little effect, as just two minutes of the second half had elapsed when Epsom took the lead. Ali Fofahan engaged in a strong run down the left flank, then cut inside and surprised Toby by aiming for the tight angle at the near-post when the keeper had probably expected the ball to be aimed for the far; it snuck inside the small gap, and Tooting were behind. With the bulk of the half still to play, it should have served as a wake-up call, and potentially spurred the Terrors into better efforts; instead, it had the opposite effect as heads began to drop, passes were mis-placed, and Epsom sensed the game was there for the taking. They were right; just before the hour Carl Oblitey glanced home number two, as an initially cleared corner found it’s way back to him. The afternoon could have ended in a much heavier defeat but for the saves of Toby McKimm who kept the score down to two.
Tooting 2-2 Horley Town
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Tooting were unable to chalk up a first win in four matches, but at least the losing streak was halted at three as two out of form sides played out a scrappy draw. Horley had also been struggling for points, but came into this one on the back of only their second league win of the season and looked confident early on, as they played the ball around neatly. Tooting’s recent struggles had resulted in a little bit of nervousness which seemed difficult to overcome early on. But the team began to settle - thanks largely to the experienced head of Daryl Coleman prompting from midfield - and carved out the first real opening when skipper Antonio Simeone fired in a firm shot from the edge of the box. Visiting keeper George Hyde seemed to have it covered well enough, but fumbled it before grabbing it at the second attempt. Hyde’s handling was to prove a significant feature of the game as a whole. In the 24th minute, we took the lead; a long ball forward by Toby McKimm looked to be heading out of play but Kieran Campbell retrieved it, turned his marker and fired the ball across the six-yard box; Sam Orisatoki, arriving at pace at the far post, kept his shot low and lashed it past Hyde. The lead was almost doubled shortly afterwards, as Hyde once again fumbled a straightforward cross, nearly dropping the ball over his own goal-line but a defender was on hand to spare his blushes. Within five minutes, though, Horley were level. Tooting’s defensive sloppiness was in evidence again as an unchallenged cross found Liam Trevatt attacking the six-yard box unmarked, and he slotted the ball comfortably past Toby for 1-1 at the break.
The second half began with both sides bogged down in midfield, the contest becoming something of a slog at this stage. What happened next was quite out of keeping with what surrounded it; Conor Melody dispossessed a Horley player in the centre circle, looked up to see Hyde well off his line, and chipped the ball goalwards from fully fifty yards. Hyde back-pedalled, but the shellshocked keeper was completely disoriented as it bounced off the bar - and he somehow managed only to help it over the goal-line. It was technically an own-goal, but it would be churlish to take the honour away from Conor after his quick-thinking - and I have no qualms awarding him the glory. Besides, I’m fairly sure there’s no ‘dubious goals’ panel in the Combined Counties League, just as there wasn’t before the invention of the ‘premier’ league - so a similar effort once scored by Arsenal at Old Trafford in 1991, which bounced in off the back of the head of a diving Peter Schmeichel having cannoned off the crossbar, was rightly awarded to David Rocastle, and the history books are unimpeachable. Anyhow, I digress - because I’m reluctant to report what came next. Just four minutes had elapsed with Tooting holding the advantage this time, before the defence opened up once again to allow Lewis Perch to run through and face a one-on-one with Toby; Perch coolly took the ball around him, and slotted it into an empty net. Four goals in the game, and half-an-hour still to play makes it sound like an entertaining affair but - Conor’s goal aside - it had been lacking in any real quality, and grew increasingly ragged thereafter. Tempers frayed as some meaty challenges went in, and neither side looked likely to find a winner - save for further anxieties in the Horley defence due to George Hyde’s handling, but they managed to survive and take a point back down the M23.
Guildford City 1-0 Tooting
Guildford City advanced to the next stage of the Isuzu FA Vase with an impressive performance against esteemed visitors Tooting & Mitcham United. It was an intriguing match up between two sides who, for periods, often cancelled each other out. City were working hard off the ball and pressing their opponents into errors. The first chance came on sixteen minutes; Alex RodwayBrown chipped the ball back into the box where Alex Stingelin mistimed his header, and the ball glanced just wide. The Terrors’ first attack saw a run into space on the right by Conor Melody, but his low cross zipped across the box found nobody in a lavender shirt attacking it and it drifted harmlessly wide. Just past the half-hour, former Tooting man Leevi Bassett crossed into the box from the left, but it was just too high for another ex-Terror Malachai Cole. The first corner of the match didn’t come until the 37th minute which gives an indication of the prompting and probing largely taking place in the centre third. Just prior to the interval Guildford had some joy down the flanks, when Reece Robins cut inside and saw a shot saved by Toby McKimm. Then, from a cross, Rodway-Brown flicked a header on and Robins netted, but was clearly in an offside position and the flag denying the goal was a formality. No further action of note occurred in the remaining period of play, and it was goalless as the sides trooped off for their half-time break.
As the second period began, Guildford were noticeably looking to get the ball into the box from wide positions, a tactic that Tooting took a while to counter against. Just two minutes in, Ben Gambrah’s cross was headed over by Leevi Bassett as he fell backward. A minute later, Tooting came the closest to a goal yet, as a snap-shot from Ashley Sheppard almost caught Jacob Terry unawares, but the City keeper parried the powerful effort and gathered it again via the inside of the post. Just before the hour, twelve goals-worth of firepower was added from the home bench in the form of Manny Acheampong and Darnell Jon-Peter. Shortly after, Jon-Peter and Aaron Smith-Joseph for Tooting exchanged long range efforts that both cleared the respective crossbars. Jon-Peter then saw an effort saved by Toby McKimm at the near post. The deadlock was finally broken on fifteen minutes from the end. A long ball forward caught the Tooting defence too static, and Darnell Jon-Peter skipped past Antonio Simeone’s challenge to bore down on goal. Showing commendable composure, Jon-Peter rounded McKimm and netted with aplomb. Yet another former Terror, the impressive Nik Krokhin, then headed wide at the back post, but going into the lengthy period of stoppage time Tooting threw everything forward with several corners and free kicks fired into the City penalty area. However, Guildford’s impressive defence held firm and they advanced to the First round proper, with Tooting left to make a sorrowful journey home.
Tooting 5-1 Camberley Town
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Struggling Camberley Town proved the ideal opposition as the Terrors eased to their biggest victory of the season so far; hopefully the confidence that flowed throughout the side on this afternoon will be repeated as we face a few more sides languishing at the wrong end of the table in the coming weeks. After a dominant opening ten minutes, Camberley failed to clear a corner and the ball pinged around the penalty area before falling at the feet of Hussein Siklawi who drilled it home from the edge of the box. However, Tooting’s problem recently has been holding on to a lead for any length of time, and this defensive lapse was in evidence again almost immediately as a long ball forward found Lewis Hamblin beating the offside trap, and he coolly lobbed Toby McKimm from the edge of the box. But that was as good as it got for the visitors; just three further minutes had elapsed before a free-kick was awarded on the right-hand side, and Hussein’s dead-ball skills were in evidence as he put it on a plate for Andy O’Brien to head home unchallenged from close-range. This time, Tooting were determined not to let things slip, with the defence looking much more solid. And we went further in front just past the half-hour. Another free-kick, just inside the centre-circle, was curled in - this time by Daryl Coleman - and skipper Antonio Simeone looped his header home to give us some much-needed breathing space.
Camberley carved out the first half-chance of the second period, when Toby had to be alert to repel a scuffed shot from the edge of the box, but any hope the visitors had of getting back into proceedings were snuffed out seven minutes into the half. The skipper turned creator this time, lofting a ball forward for Shawn Lyle - returning to play his first game of the season. Shawn used his strength to shrug off a defender, and his shot had just enough power to sneak past wrong-footed keeper Ben Grummitt, and nestle in the back of the net off the inside of a post. Camberley had a chance to reduce their arrears shortly after, when Louis Lindsay should have done better from about five yards out. But, from Jacob Wheeler’s cross, Lindsay could only manage to head the ball into the turf; it bounced up and cannoned off the crossbar to sum up the visitor’s afternoon. Tooting extended their lead not long after when a nice one-touch passing sequence involving Simmo, Micah Fraser and Hoss was finished off with the skipper’s second - his cross cum shot from near the right corner flag deceived Grummitt, sailing over his head to drop in at the far post. Camberley were demoralised now, and grew increasingly ragged as they craved the final whistle. Tooting had several opportunities to add to their tally but settled for five; the manager taking advantage of the ‘dead’ last fifteen minutes or so, to give run-outs to promising youngsters Themba-Joseph Moyo and Freddie Jones, both of whom had impressed in the midweek League Cup defeat at Wallingford & Crowmarsh. It is to be hoped the Terrors can carry this confidence forward and generate some momentum to push themselves up the table.