Camberley Town 0-0 Molesey - Official Match Report

By Andrew Finch

A clean sheet and a sixth combined counties league fixture unbeaten at Krooner Park were the only positives for the moles in a scruffy game that looked anything but a clash between two top five sides with promotion ambitions. The hosts had the better goalscoring opportunities but neither side did nearly enough to warrant the three points.

In fact the only time O'Neal Garness in the home goal was called into action was when a long Joe-Pratley-Jones throw was helped goalwards by home defender Jake Meade. His misdirected header was dipping under the crossbar before being acrobatically tipped over.

Molesey lined up missing Ollie Robinson and Moses Spencer, meaning a reshuffle in the heart of defence and a recall for Tim Pitt, and with first choice keeper Wester Young and his deputy Dan Hatton both unavailable Liam Allan was drafted in on dual registration from Woking for just his second Molesey start. Allan pulled off several fine stops in the second half to keep the Moles in the game.

The game got off to a feisty start when Camberley's Dean Greenwood went in late on Luke Elliott and resulted in a scuffle involving players from both sides. Both Greenwood and Elliott received cautions.

Both sides looked most likely to score from the long throws of Pratley-Jones and ex Mole Doug Ford, and Molesey's first opportunity came when Ross Chalke glanced a header just wide from Pratley-Jones' throw.

Camberley got the ball forward to Brad Smith and another ex Mole, Manny Quarshie, at the earliest opportunity, and one such clearance led to Quarshie getting in between Pitt and Kristian Webb and poking an effort just over the bar.

Matt Baxter's ruthlessness in front of goal has got him a lot of goals and the Moles a lot of points so far this season, however, when breaking three on two midway through the half he should have been unselfish rather than ruthless and play in James McShane for a free run at goal rather than shoot tamely wide from outside the box.

Another Baxter effort from a promising position went high and wide, as the Moles struggled for cohesion, and found it difficult to get dangerman McShane into the game. On the few occasions that McShane did get on the ball in the last third his final ball was uncharacteristically lacking.

Quarshie had another effort in the opening minute of the second half but was stopped by a decent save by Allan with Molesey defenders appealing in vain for offside.

Ford volleyed an effort wide and Smith flicked a header into Allan's gloves as the home side pressed, and Allan pulled off a terrific double save to thwart Smith and Greenwood.

Molesey's only real opening in the second half was a cross by Tom Windsor that was volleyed wide by McShane.

The flow of the game was certainly not helped by a fussy official who rarely gave an opportunity for the advantage rule to be played following a foul.

Nor was it helped by the home dugout's unhurried method of getting replacement balls in play. Often they'd delay as long as possible then kick two balls on at once. Every other ball seemed to be flat, which was an appropriate metaphor for an afternoon that won't live long in the memory.