ROCHESTER UTD 1 – 1 CROYDON FC

Manager Liam Giles decided to stick with an unchanged starting eleven after last week’s win against SC Thamesmead. The first half was very evenly balanced with multiple chances for both sides but the match ultimately ended honours even which seemed like a fair result. 

The earliest chance for Croydon saw a corner hit the side netting, the next saw a free kick and Henry Swann’s shot going over the crossbar. Subsequently, Croydon goalkeeper Tiwa Fujamade needed to dive low to save a shot but then at the other end, his opposite number Ben Nourse had to beat the oncoming Jibril Adamson to the ball and make a clearance for the hosts. The ball back with Croydon, Eldi Baze’s cross reached Cameron Beckles, only for his header to land behind the goal. 

Rochester then generated a couple of chances, with second one creating special concern, as Fujamade was out of his area, but the shot from the home side went very wide. There was a then chance for Croydon when Baze controlled the ball, crossed to the other wing towards Adamson, who was booked soon afterwards in an unrelated incident. The next chance was on target, when an Uli Fischer cross reached Swann, but the ball was caught by Nourse. 

After another Rochester shot landed very wide of the post, Lauris Chin was on the wing and although he couldn’t get goalside, he did get his cross in past the defender but the ball was again caught by Nourse. Then after 37 minutes, Rochester got a corner, and Lucas Payne’s header put the home side into the lead. However, the lead was short lived, as five minutes later following a cross from Chin; Uli Fischer equalised three minutes before half time. 

First action of the second half saw a corner for Rochester and a chance that went wide of the post. A Swann through ball went to Chin only to go out for a corner soon afterwards. The corner went to a Rochester player, then to Ryan Burrell-Grant only to then go to an opponent for a clearance. 

Croydon conceded a free kick on the edge of the box which was well defended to restrict Rochester to a shot that was wide of the post. Croydon made changes to try and press further with substitute Joey Wealthyland, having a shot that went wide of the post. 

Again, Croydon’s defenders were forced into action. A Rochester cross went to the far side of the post, and then out for a throw in. Another Rochester free kick was cleared and another chance went wide. There were a couple of chances left for Croydon, a Swann free kick was cleared, while Wealthyland’s run ended with a shot going wide.