Spitfires claim away point at Chelmsford

CHELMSFORD CITY v EASTLEIGH

SATURDAY 6th FEBRUARY 2010
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

Before travelling to fourth placed Chelmsford City, if a point had been offered then this would have been accepted, despite the fact that the home side were coming off a run of three successive home defeats. A point was gained in the fixture but having held the lead for such a long period of the game it was a feeling of maybe two points had been lost at the end of the fixture.

Eastleigh were without the injured Andy Forbes being replaced by loan signing Staforde Palmer, whilst Anthony Riviere started in his normal midfield role; Eastleigh’s other new signing Jo Tessem having to be content with a place on the bench. Chelmsford had a new striker of their own on display in Simon Thomas previously with Crystal Palace, Colchester United and Billericay Town. Chelmsford who had to adjust their substitute selection pre-match owing to an injury obtained by Ricky Modeste, also had changes to their line up from their previous game with the ineligible Marlon Patterson returning whilst the not fully fit Anthony Cook started as a substitute but was introduced into the action in the thirty-seventh minute. Chelmsford also included former Spitfire Steve Clark.

Ricky Holmes had a half chance for the home side in the second minute with his shot on the turn from the edge of the box being saved by Jason Matthews. Eastleigh though were ahead in the fourth minute. Matt Day’s searching ball from the right back position fell in behind the Chelmsford rearguard and Richard Gillespie used his pace and strength to get in behind the central defensive pairing before firing low past the advancing goalkeeper Ryan Harrison.

A minute later Palmer shot just wide as he tried to increase the Spitfires lead, whilst a number of inswinging Eastleigh corners caused real concern in the Chelmsford six yard area for the home side, one such Shaun McAuley corner skimming the cross bar.

The Chelmsford attack were well marshalled by the combination of Tom Jordan and Steve Cook and if anybody looked likely to add further goals it was Eastleigh. On seventeen minutes another McAuley corner saw a frantic scramble in the Chelmsford area but no Eastleigh player managed to add a finishing touch with the ball always hitting a sea of white shirts on their defensive duties.   

The home side brought themselves level on thirty-one minutes. A free kick into the area by Matthew Lock was met by the head of the soaring David Rainford to send the ball into the net for the equaliser.

Two minutes before the interval the nervy looking home goalkeeper Harrison recovered an error that looked as though he had presented Palmer a chance but Eastleigh were back in front two minutes later as the interval was almost upon us. Tony Taggart’s corner from the right flank seemed to have evaded everybody and almost certainly going in to the net but to make sure, Palmer added the finishing touch to mark his debut with a goal.

The second period saw few chances created. After sixty-one minutes Taggart headed a McAuley cross wide of the target whilst a minute later Taggart was this time the provider with a cross, McAuley headed back across goal but no one was on hand to add the finishing touch.

Day had a free kick saved by Harrison on seventy-three minutes and Riviere shot wide from a Taggart cross a minute later. For Chelmsford, Holmes had a speculative long-range effort over the bar. With six minutes to go Chelmsford grabbed an equaliser. Robert Edman’s shot was parried away by Matthews but Cook followed up to drill a low shot back into the net.

Both sides had chances to grab a winning goal as the game came towards its conclusion. Cook had another shot that went just over whilst Taggart saw a header saved by Harrison. 
 

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