Molesey 0-2 Chessington & Hook - Official Match Report

By Andrew Finch

Victor Martin's clinical finish after half hour set the visitors on their way, and Daniel Harding beat Wester Young to a through ball on the hour to secure victory in what was one of Molesey's poorest performances of the season.

Taking nothing away from the visitors, whose three points made them mathematically safe from a bottom 3 finish, but their performance was more befitting a team in the top three. Their front four players bristled with menace, and their solid backline was well protected by disciplined holding midfielders.

Molesey created precious little throughout the 90 minutes, with their best chance in the opening period coming when Joe Pratley-Jones' quick free-kick set Lewis Ackerman away down the left. His pull back was played into Ross Chalke's path by Tom Windsor, but the ball spun into the arms of Chessington's Ricky Bowry.

The visitors had already sliced through the home backline, with Young doing well to keep out Theo Woodhouse's effort, but he could do little to prevent Chessington taking the lead when Colin Hartburn failed to track Martin's run, and he had all the time in the world to open his body up and loop an effort over Young into the top corner.

The visitors started the second half the stronger, and only a superbly timed crunching tackle by Young outside his box stopped Jimmy Harding wriggling clear down the right.

The respite was brief, and within a few minutes Daniel Harding had doubled his side's leading, latching onto a through ball and clipping it past the oncoming Young before walking the ball into the net.

Molesey huffed and puffed but rarely threatened, with Windsor diverting a header just past the post the closest they came.

There was controversy when Ackerman wriggled clear of Tony Houghton and was pulled back by the big centre half. The assistant ref adjudged that the offence had taken place outside the box (he had a much better view than me), although the ref's decision to brandish a yellow rather than red card appeared to be his only mistake of the evening given that Houghton was clearly the last man.

Chessington substitute Tommy Tyler came within inches of scoring one of the goals of the century when he connected first time with a corner Paul Scholes-style, but was extremely unlucky to see his 25 yard rasping volley hit the angle of post and bar.

The Moles conclude their league campaign with tricky looking trips to Cove and South Park before hosting Spelthorne Sports in the Southern Combination Cup final on Friday 10 May.