Vs Forest Utd

VS Forest United
 
Date : 23/01/12

Score: Chingford AFC 1-2 Forest Utd
 
Venue: Wadham Lodge
 
Competition: East Ham Memorial Cup - QF
 
Squad: Morley, Davies, M Thompson, Kilama, Scott, Nava-Croft, Bowers, Hay, Mignot, Armstrong, K Thompson, Brookes, Arnold, Clarke
 
Scorer: Armstrong

Report: Due to a fixture pile-up Chingford entertained Ilford & District Premier Division leaders Forest United in a quarter final cup tie on Monday night. The two sides know each other well from the past two seasons playing in the same division and it promised to be a fiery contest as there is no love lost between the sides. With a lack of forwards to choose from Chingford opted for a 4-5-1 formation with the goal-scoring burden falling on Kemar Thompson. The game began with both sides trying to play passing football on the big, open pitch and the early signs were that there was going to be very little to choose between the two sides. Forest were throwing themselves into tackles whereas Chingford were looking slightly more composed in possession but neither side was causing too many goal-scoring chances. An early sour note for the home side was the loss of right back Michael Davies to injury and he was replaced by Ashton Brookes. Athletic had the first chance of any note when some tidy midfield play by Nava-Croft and Armstrong set up Thompson who fired his shot across goal but just wide of the far post. Michael Hay nearly drove a fierce left-footed shot into the top corner from 20 yards but it curled agonisingly wide as Chingford began to increase the pressure on the Forest goal but just as they were looking to take the lead themselves they fell behind. Chingford were caught in possession in their own half which allowed their forward to be rolled in on goal and he calmly slotted past James Morley. As the teams went in at half time the game was still in the balance despite Forest holding a slender 1-0 lead.
 
It was much of the same in the early exchanges of the second half as Chingford began forcing a number of corners and were getting a bit of joy whenever they got the ball out wide. The Forest forwards were being well marshaled by the Athletic backline and the midfield of both sides were cancelling each other out with no-one getting any time on the ball to get their head up and pick a pass of any real note. It wasn't until Chingford starting to push forward a bit more just after the hour mark that the chances started to come as skipper Matt Thompson should have at least hit the target with a header at the back post from a Michael corner and Kemar Thompson was creating chances out of nothing through his constant running but he failed to beat the Forest keeper. It was a moment of magic which eventually brought the game back level as another corner from Chingford's right was played in and Armstrong hit a swiveling volley into the top corner from 12 yards out. It was a goal worthy of winning any game and it looked like it might go someway to helping Athletic snatch victory as they were in the ascendancy but they just couldn't find a second goal to kill off Forest's hopes. The game started to get more physical as it went on with some strong tackles flying in all over the pitch as the game looked like it was heading for penalties. Just a minute from time though it was heartbreak for the home side as a ball from the Forest left was played into the box and as the striker sneaked in between two defenders at the back post he calmly placed the ball low into the corner to win the game and send Forest through to the semi final. For Chingford, their attention now turns to the difficult cup tie against Olympian Premier Division side Buckhurst Hill next week.