Two Excellent Goals in Tadley Win

Two fine goals from dead ball strikes saw Tadley Calleva beat bottom club Banstead Athletic who scored a good goal themselves in a generally poor game.

After victory in the FA Vase last Saturday at Calne , Tadley continued the winning habit despite a sluggish performance. With a much changed side due to injuries and player availability, former club stalwart Shaun Dallimore played his first game after long term injury. We also saw Adam Alliston, Dean Stow, Connor Thorne & Aaron Parfitt return to the squad.

The opening 15 minutes was pretty even. Aaron Parfitt was prominent with a range of constructive passes, while Shaun Dallimore won some good aerial balls before being on the receiving end of some bruising challenges from Banstead striker Toni Shoyoke. In the eighteenth minute Brett Denham was harshly booked for a high foot attempt to reach a bouncing ball before onrushing keeper Devon Gordon on the edge of the penalty area . A minute later Dallimore followed Denham in the book as a fair but physical tackle was percieved differently by the referee.

Positive play then was limited. Banstead saw a free kick sail just over the bar prior to Denham being denied his 250th club goal by a goal line clearance after being freed by Ben Wright.

On 34 minutes Wright and Denham combined again to open the scoring. From a 25 yard free kick, Wright’s superbly struck shot swerved around the wall bringing a finger tip save from keeper Gordon onto the post, but all in vain as the ever alert Denham tapped in the empty net to bring about that all important 250 goals for Tale-Calleva.

Half time Tadley Calleva 1 Banstead Athletic 0

Within 5 minutes of the restart the effective and competitive Scott Kinge was booked for a sliding tackle that took balll and man, only to be rightly and shortly joined in the book by Banstead’s Shoyoke.

A few minutes later Banstead equalised. A square ball from Ben Wright was seized upon by the impressive left footed Skipper Joe Adoo Peters. He ran 50 yards, beat a home defender to cut inside an with a side footed finish with his weaker right foot, put the ball into the far corner to level the game.

But Tadley were not finished. As Banstead’s goal celebrations had barely died down, the quick thinking Parfitt spotted Gordon off his line and shot perfectly direct from the centre spot, lobbing the despairing keeper.

With Denham and Kinge yellow carded, joint managers Ben Dillion and Joe Lawler made precautionary substitutions on 56 minutes bringing on Kalum Cousins and Jordan Goater respectively .Further substitutions followed with Joe Cummuskey replacing Stow, not fully fit, at centre back and new signing Riccardo Andrade, taking the place of tireless Connor Thorne. After receiving a heavy tackle, Alfie Saunders gave way to Ousman Darboe.

Good work by Cousins resulted in the hard working Sheldon Wright shooting powerfully but over the crossbar. There was little action of note in remaining time, Adam Alliston was a late fourth addition to the book by the referee.

With a busy week ahead, a home game against Bournemouth in the Hampshire Senior Cup on Tuesday 4 October at 7.45 pm and an away league trip to Jersey next Saturday, the managerial team will be happy to build on a valuable winning habit .

Tadley Calleva James Andrews ; Alfie Saunders (Ousman Darboe 78), Dean Stow,(Joe Cummuskey 65 ) Shaun Dallimore, Adam Alliston; Sheldon Wright , Aaron Parfitt, Scott Kinge (C)( Jordan Goater 56) Connor Thorne (Riccardo Andrade 67); Ben Wright , Brett Denham (Kalum Cousins 56)