TT No.1: Barry Neighbour - Saturday 7th July 2007; Godalming Town v Basingstoke Town (P-S F)         Venue: Charterhouse School; Result: 1-5; Attendance: about:100; No Programme issued

My first game of the new season saw me at the unusual setting of Charterhouse School where local Southern League side Godalming Town are staging their pre season friendlies. Anyone going to Charterhouse needs to park in the school grounds by the Sports Centre (which is Dukes Drive) and walk along a footpath inside the school alongside the main road to a footbridge (66 steps!) that takes you across the road and onto the playing fields. This is the only way to access the playing fields which are opposite the main site. The game itself was split into 3 x 30 minute periods although the final one lasted 40 minutes as the ref seemed to add all the time from the other two periods onto this one. The first 30 minute period was evenly fought with neither team taking a grip on the game. However this was to change in the second period as the visitors took the lead after 5 minutes when a through ball sliced the Godalming defence open and the Basingstoke player beat the keeper with ease. They doubled the lead on 48 minutes when a short back pass was intercepted and the ball was knocked past the keeper. Another mistake by the home side 5 minutes before the end of the period saw Basingstoke go 3 up when the Godalming defender knocked a cross past his own keeper. The 3rd period started as the previous one ended with another Basingstoke goal when a short pass in the area was converted. 6 minutes later it was 5-0 when a thumping shot from 25 yards struck the crossbar before rebounding off the keeper's head who was still diving to stop the original shot! Godalming pulled a goal back 10 minutes before the end from the penalty spot after the Basingstoke defender was adjudged to have caught the home forward. With the inevitable host of changes the game petered out with no further goals. Godalming are playing at Charterhouse for the next 3 Saturdays: 14th v Wellingborough Town, 21st v Oxhey Jets and 28th v Badshot Lea.

contributed on 07/07/07