Alton 2 - 2 Guildford City
29 Sep 2024
Match report by Dave Hawtin
These two sides produced a competitive game of football to entertain a good crowd.
The tone was set in the first minute of the game when Owen Tanner's neat finish was unfortunately flagged offside, but the first goal was not long in coming.
Guildford took the lead on 6 minutes when a corner was not cleared and the ball found the back of the net from an acrobatically executed overhead kick.
The visitors were the sharper of the two sides and looked a threat with their pace, but slowly and surely the home side got back into the game and started to cause problems down the right flank where Angel Zapata was proving a real handful.
On 36 minutes the home side were awarded a penalty for handball, both the referee and linesman who conferred were sure but the decision was contested by the visitors. Owen Tanner cooly converted to level the scores.
On 43 minutes the visitors were then themselves awarded a penalty for the same offence, and let’s be clear because the ref awarded the first kick he had no choice other than to award this one. Dispatched 2-1. Please someone explain the handball law these days.
In the first 10 minutes of the second half both keepers made great reaction saves. Jamie Hoppitt was thwarted from a stinging shot and home keeper Theo Rust pushed a close range shot over the bar from a corner.
On the hour the home side were level after a flurry of corners in which another appeal for a handball was dismissed. In the same incident the ball was cleared off of the line when it looked to be over the line but Alton were not to be denied.
In heading at goal from the resulting corner a very high boot caught Hoppitt, penalty number three. Up stepped Tanner and the game is all square again.
As the game entered the later stages there looked like only one winner as the home side dominated. Marshall sent a shot a whisker over the bar and then provided a cross that just evaded Matt Benham.
The last chance came from another corner. A towering header at the back post by Tolu Ajayi-Obe was again agonisingly cleared off the line with the keeper well beaten.
Honours even, really good contest well officiated.
Alton travel to Cobham on Tuesday night before another away game on Saturday at Balham.
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