Guildford City’s fight against relegation from the Combined Counties Premier Division South will go to the season’s final day after City fell to a 2-0 defeat at Tadley Calleva on Saturday.

To their credit the City lads gave their all against play-off chasing Tadley at Barlows Park. Despite the importance of the game to both sides the match started quietly, and it was nearly 20 minutes before either side had any sort of attempt on goal. It was a further ten minutes before a shot troubled a goalkeeper, and it was City’s Mac Chisholm who saved comfortably. This raised the tempo a little and Tadley glanced a header wide. Minutes later Ben Mitchell raced clear for City and his low effort was brilliantly saved by Craig Atkinson in the Tadley goal. In first-half stoppage time a Tadley free-kick cleared the crossbar, and it was all square at the break.

The second half was more open, and it was City who had the first sight of goal. From a free-kick Tolu Ajayi-Obe and Rayyan Adam both headed the ball on for James Glover whose shot on the turn went wide. The home side responded immediately, and Chisholm saved well at his near post. Chisholm again saved well before Mitchell again got goalside, but he delayed his shot long enough for Atkinson to make a blocking save. The resulting in-swinging corner from Leo Anthony looked as if it would drop under the bar but Atkinson saved acrobatically. Tadley opened the scoring on 69 minutes. Chisholm saved well from close range, but Kieran Rodgers was on hand to fire home the loose ball. The goal took the sting out of the game, and on 86 minutes Ross Cook converted a low cross with aplomb to confirm the points for Tadley.

By Barry Underwood