|
In conditions not conducive for flowing football, the Blues provided many positives for new manager Richard Marchena. After a cagey opening twenty minutes, Calvin Petrie’s sublime skill gave the visitors the lead. Debutant Jamie Shaw broke up a Camberley attack on the half way line, threaded a through ball to Petrie on the edge of the area who coolly lifted the ball over his marker and volleyed past Chris Foster in the Camberley goal.
The Wingate backline wasn’t threatened until midway through the first half when AJibola Olajunbosun was dispossessed by Jordan Coleman who crossed for Gavin Branch. However, Branch blazed his effort high and wide.
The impressive Elliott Green cleared further danger on 32 minutes following another good cross from Camberley’s Coleman.
Three minutes later, Camberley made their pressure count with a bizarre equaliser. Former England stopper David Seaman will have a degree of sympathy for Blues goalkeeper Dan Anfossy as Lee Westlake’s 35 yard Ronaldinho like free-kick flew over Anfossy as he was organising the wall.
The visitors responded well and a vicious free-kick from Alfie Bartram was glanced just wide by Olajunbosun.
The second half was much more open and it was the home side who created the first opportunities. On 56 minutes, Leon Skinner’s pace was too much for Camberley’s striker racing into the box and the danger was averted. Just seconds later, further hesitancy in the Wingate defence allowed Jack Keenan to get his shot in, but Anfossy saved well at his near post.
However, as the game progressed it was The Blues who began to dominate and can feel slightly disappointed not to take maximum points.
The formation was changed to a more traditional 4-4-2 allowing Frenchman, Helmut Nkazi Dayo to shine with his trickery on the left side of midfield.
On the hour, Jamie Shaw’s free kick from the left caused panic in the Camberley defence but Dale Archer failed to turn the ball in from close range. Shaw’s outswinging corner was flicked on by Leon Skinner and a reaction header from Petrie flew over the bar.
Theo Morris looked lively on his debut as a substitute and linked well with Green on the right on 68 minutes but the move ended with a tame shot from Petrie after he broke the Camberley offside trap.
On 70 minutes, Dan Anfossy made up for his first half error with a stunning save to keep the scores level. Poor marking from a Camberley free kick ended with Anfossy diving full length to his left to turn the ball round the post from Paul Dadson’s goalbound header.
A wonderful defence splitting pass on 76 minutes capped Lee Hatton’s solid performance in midfield, but Petrie failed to get enough power in his shot to trouble the keeper. Theo Morris had a right foot volley well saved and then Wingate were millimetres from a winner five minutes from time. If Camberley had Ronaldinho, Wingate had David Beckham in set piece specialist Jamie Shaw. A 25 yard curler looked destined for the top corner until Chris Foster somehow got a finger tip to the ball and deflected it on to the bar and over for a corner.
Man of Match: Elliott Green
Team: Dan Anfossy, Elliott Green, Johnathan Mengeli, Helmut Nkazi Dayo, Leon Skinner, Ajibola Olajunbosun, Lee Hatton, Jamie Shaw, Calvin Petrie, Dale Archer, Alfie Bartram (Theo Morris, 52 mins).
Sub not used: Richard Marchena
| |