Match Report

Guild Go Great Guns 'Gainst Guru!

Another three points on the board against a decent Guru Nanak side as Farnborough climb to fourth with games in hand.

Recent cup victories against Fleetdown and Orpington for the Guild and a league success for Guru against Metrogas, meant that both sides went into this fixture in good form.

On a fine day and an excellent surface at Farrow Fields the game got underway. The opening exchanges were quite frantic with both sides looking to take control with both sides flexing their muscles with some robust tackles. However, the Guild looked the more dangerous going forward and scored the opening goal when Cleaver bravely headed in from close range. The game was being played at an excellent pace and the half ended with the Guild in the driving seat.

At the half we spoke about upping the tempo to an even higher pace to take advantage of our excellent fitness levels at the latter stages of the fixture. At the whistle, we duly obliged and really started to dominate proceedings with some admirable team play and some really good possession football. Out wide was where the key to the game was and we worked the ball superbly to the likes of Kendall on the left and Williams J on the right.

Time and time again Williams J got past his marker and fed some excellent ammunition into the box and Kendall cutting in on the left opened things up. Perkins in the middle really drove forward and had two fantastic strikes parried away by the busy Kalle in the Guru goal. Williams L was then presented with an opportunity to double the Guilds lead but once again Kalle was on hand to deny Williams with his legs. The Guild were pushing and pushing for the crucial second goal but at the other end, Bhens forced Mumford into an excellent save in a rare Guru effort on goal. At the other end Williams J drove an effort narrowly wide, Kendall saw an effort just over the bar and the industrious Cleaver called Kalle into another save.

The second goal had to come and on 65 minutes it did. Kendall chased across the box from left to right a lost cause and together with Williams earned the ball back and with Kalle drawn from the goal, Williams had the simplest of task of rolling the ball into the net for two nil, although there was a suspicion of hand ball in the build up.

The Guild now looked comfortable and in full control but a lapse in concentration with ten minutes to go meant a runner was not picked up and some neat Guru interpassing saw Sabharwal through to finish past the advancing Mumford.

Once again the Guild did not panic and within two minutes of the restart regained their two goal advantage after a well saved effort by Kalle landed at the feet of Kendall who coolly took his time and slotted into the net.

Cooke replaced Cleaver, Travers replaced Perkins and Wray replaced Williams J.

In the dying embers of the game Travers had a chance to net a deserved fourth but was again thwarted by Kalle, Davis had a blistering forty yard free kick just inches over and Travers had another effort thwarted by the overworked Kalle.

The game ended with the Guild being more than worthy of the three-one score line and can be proud of an excellent performance against a decent and organised Guru side.

In many ways this was the best we have performed for a number of weeks. Everyone performed well and it was a total team display. Players have really started to do the jobs that are required of them and the long hard coaching sessions are starting to pay off; we made a lot of unselfish runs, followed our men through the midfield and made intelligent runs at the right times. More importantly we grafted hard for ninety minutes and it was great to see both wide men dropping in for full backs when necessary.

Man of the match was a split vote between Cleaver and Kendall with six votes apiece with Williams J getting the nod from both manager and coach. All three performed to an outstanding level and sweated in both directions for the team cause.

Next Saturday we have Metrogas in the return fixture. Metrogas have an excellent home record and it's something that we are going to have to break if we want all three points. If we play anything near to the way that we have performed of recent times I am confident that we can get a result at their place and really consolidate our position towards the top end of the table.

Farnborough: 1. Mumford; 2.Warren; 3.Judge; 4.Elliot; 5.Davis; 6.Abbott; 7.Williams J; 8. Perkins; 9.Williams L; 10. Cleaver; 11. Kendall
Subs: 13.Cooke for 10.Cleaver; 14. Travers for 8.Perkins; 15.Wray for 7.Williams J
Subs not used: 12.Hughes & 16. Hawkes

Guru Nanak: 1. Kalle; 2.Singh ; 3.Khunkhun; 4. Blake; 5. Stone; 6.Rayfield; 7.Jeffrey; 8.Dalton ; 9.Sabharwal ; 10.Gray ; 19.Bhens
Subs: 12.Robinson ; 13.Edgson 14.Guraya; 15.King; 16.Gill

Referee: Mr Peter Williams