Div6: New Inn 6 Chawton Athletic 2

A first trip of the season to Cove was in the offing on Sunday, as Chawton Athletic attempted to be only the second side this season to take points off high fliers New Inn.

Manager Taylor-Penfold decided to change the formation slightly to counteract New Inn's free scoring football, with a 4-3-2-1 look about the side.  In front of Skilts was a back line of Williams - D Nicholson - Stevens - Channon.  In front of the back line were the midfield trio of Taylor-Penfold with P Nicholson and L Ingram either side of him.  Behind the lone striker Hodkin were N Ingram and Booth.

A New Inn Player is watched all the way.

In took a few moments for Athletic to get in there stride and a few balls went loose.  The New Inn striker found himself free in the box in the first five minutes, but Skilts in goal was able to turn it over.  But for all the misplaced passes at the back, Chawton did look dangerous on the attack.

The game became more end to end but it was still New Inn posing the harder questions.  Skilts again having to be on his toes, making another save.

It took just over ten minutes for the home side to open the scoring.  A clearance found the New Inn winger on the right.  His outrageous lob left the defence and keeper with no chance as it dipped just under the bar, 0-1 to the Inn.

Hodkin gets a cross in.

New Inn were putting their foot in, and on one occasion from midfield they hit a ferocious shot against the right hand post with the keeper beaten.  From the rebound Chawton broke forward.  The ball found Nathan Ingram, but his shot flew high and wide.

At times Chawton rode their luck at the back.  A poor clearance again allowed the New Inn striker a shot on goal, but an alert Skilts was quickly down low at his near post to thwart his effort.  Unfortunately, the relief was short lived.  From the resulting corner, Skilts knocked the ball into his own net and New Inn found themselves 2-0 up.

Paul Nicholson tackles.

New Inn  should have had a third shortly after, but the striker put the ball against the far post when played through, the ball rebounding to a grateful Skilts.

The shots were coming one way, despite the possession Chawton was having at times, and from the previous kick, the ball once again found it's way back into the box and Skilts was once again on hand to claim it.

With challenges getting meaty, a free kick in the centre circle was flicked on by the advancing New Inn midfielder, but the ball went harmlessly over the bar.  From the goal kick however, a surging  run from N Ingram forces the Yellows' first corner of the match.  At the second attempt, the ball found it's way to the edge of the box but Marc Taylor-Penfold couldn't keep his shot down.

Skilts with a goal kick.

Athletic were in the ascendency by this point and another break forwards allowed Martin Booth (probably) to get a shot off.  It seemed to take a deflection, but the ref deemed it a goal kick.

Seconds later, Booth barged his way through the New Inn defence and this time managed to make the keeper save down low.  The pressure was building as Athletic really looked like they were going to find a way back into the match.  Another good through ball, this time from Taylor-Penfold, finds Ben Hodkin but the New Inn defender recovered with a good tackle just as he was shaping to shoot.

Wonka up for a header.

A run down the right hand side from Jake Channon forced the defender to foul him.  Nathan Ingram couldn't keep the free kick down though from twenty five yards out.  There was a suggestion of some shirt lifting in the box, but the referee did not see it... Moments later a run from Paul Nicholson was halted illegally and from the free kick another corner was won which comes to nothing.

Luke Ingram clears the danger.

A rare break forward from the home side sees an unchallenged cross headed against the bar.  The first rebound is well saved by Skilts and the second is put wide under pressure.  And completely against the run of play, some slack defending gifts New Inn a third before half time.

Chawton had a chance to pull one back before half time though.  Luke Ingram's thirty yard dipping shot was acrobatically saved by the home keeper.  But it was from this corner that Athletic did find a way back into the game.  The ball pinged around the box and Luke Ingram was brought down.  The task fell to designated penalty taker, Hodkin, to send the keeper the wrong way for 1-3.  This remained until half time.

Hodkin slots home the penalty.

A good start to the second half saw Booth through on goal, but he pulled his shot wide of the post.  At the other end, a long shot is saved by Skilts and from the resulting corner New Inn have the ball in the net, only to see it ruled out for a foul.

Channon is for the tackle.

Paul Nicholson had the bit between his teeth and several runs forward brought shots on goal, but none could find the net.  The game becoming more end to end again, and a poor ball by Olly Williams saw a New Inn shot go narrowly over the bar, with Skilts covering.

Taylor-Penfold runs.

First blood in the second half went to New Inn after ten minutes of the second half, with a drilled shot from the centre of the box making it 1-4.  This gave them the initiative once more, as they pulled the defenders out of position, but the Athletic defence managed to recover, time and again and then Paul Nicholson puts in the challenge when the defence are beaten.

New inn then made it 1-5, as the ball is pinballed around the box.  The final shot took a wicked deflection to leave Skilts with no chance at all.

Substitute Nathan Teague set about using his pace to put the New Inn defence under pressure.  One of his runs resulted in him being pulled back on the edge of the box and a free kick awarded.  Luke Ingram stepped up to hit it low into the bottom right corner for 2-5.  A goal Chawton easily deserved.

Luke Ingram pulls a goal back from a free kick.

A sumptuously dinked ball into the box finds Ingram but he was muscled out of the shot.  At the other end, Karl Teague shepherded the ball out for a goal kick after coming on.

Paul Nicholson's silky skills.

The game's scoreline took a further negative twist, as a corner was not marked up well enough.  The on-running midfielder free to pick his spot, although he was lucky to get it through the man on the post.

Chances continued to come the way of both sides way though, with Hodkin scuffing a shot at the keeper.  Skilts stopped the result taking a further unfair touch with a superb double saved after Paul Nicholson had lost the ball on the edge of the box.

Substitute Nathan Teague.

He almost redeemed himself straight away with the last shot of the game, but his thirty yard effort went over the bar.  The game ended 2-6.


Although the scoreline flattered the home side, as confirmed by their manager, it was the silly mistakes that again cost Chawton.  These will be eradicated with time on the pitch and further gelling of the new team.  The overall view was still a positive one, with highlights being our attacking play.  Paul Nicholson's running was a delight, as was his unflinching tackles.  Man of the match, however, went to the impressive 16-year-old Jake Channon at right back.  He was strong in the tackle, looked good when moving forward and again showed he is a force to be reckoned with in the air.


Next up, ex-Farnham League rivals West Liss at home in the league-cup double header first leg!  Meet at the ground no later than 09:30 on Sunday.  Fines are now in operation!!