Full time: Chelmsford City 1-1 Barnet
Chelmsford City marked their first game of the season at Melbourne Community Stadium with a draw against National League outfit Barnet on Monday night.
The visitors created the better chances in the early stages of the friendly, but were kept at bay by two impressive saves made by Clarets goalkeeper Ted Collins. Robbie Simpson’s side grew into the game though, and carried the momentum which they built in the latter stages of the first half into the second period in Essex.
Eventually, this momentum paid dividends for the Clarets when Kane Crichlow scored a powerful header which put his side ahead in the 63rd minute. Crichlow’s goal marked his first for the club since he was added to Robbie Simpson’s squad last week. Dean Brennan’s Barnet side responded well to going behind, and hit back in the 77th minute when Rhys Browne scored with a clinical finish from inside the City penalty area.
Manager Simpson named ten first team players and one trialist in his side’s starting eleven. This saw the likes of Sam Oguntayo, Callum Watts, Jake Hyde, and more of their teammates all bank further valuable pre-season minutes ahead of next month’s National League South curtain-raiser against Slough Town.
Following a quiet opening fifteen minutes to proceedings in Essex, the first two clear-cut chances of the game fell the visitors’ way. Rhys Browne latched on to a quickly taken free-kick in the 15th minute and produced a shot from close-range, which forced Ted Collins into an impressive stop with his left foot. Three minutes later, Collins kept the score level once again with another outstanding save from point-blank range, this time denying Jermaine Francis a goal against his former club.
Robbie Simpson’s side did grow into the game as the first half progressed though, and forced Collins’ counterpart Nick Hayes to make a strong stop of his own in the 28th minute. After intercepting a loose pass made by Hayes, Charlie Ruff was able to tee himself up to have an effort from inside the penalty box, which the Bees’ shot-stopper did well to keep out from close-range. Kalvin Kalala then nearly scored his second goal of pre-season towards the end of the half. City’s attacking midfield trio of Tamplin, Ruff and Kalala linked up well during a counterattack, with the latter of the three bending a shot the wrong side of the post.
In the second half, the Bees nearly drew first blood in the 54th minute when Finley Wilkinson struck a powerful effort just wide of Collins’ goal. After introducing Freddie Hockey and Trialist B after the half time break, Simpson made three further changes in the 61st minute, one of which saw Kane Crichlow come on to make his first home appearance as a Claret.
Less than three minutes into his Melbourne Community Stadium debut, Crichlow found himself on the scoresheet. The former Watford man rose above a Barnet defender at the backpost and powerfully headed home Sam Oguntayo’s accurate cross delivered from the left flank, putting the Clarets ahead.
Dean Brennan’s side responded well to going behind though, as they looked to keep up their unbeaten record from the four pre-season friendlies which they have contested so far this summer. Eventually, the Bees’ efforts paid off when the ever-threatening Jermaine Francis marked his return to Melbourne Community Stadium by providing an assist for Rhys Browne. Browne impressively drew his side level by finishing Francis’ low cross into the City 18-yard box with a shot which found the top corner of the net.
Despite neither side coming close to finding a late winner in the final thirteen minutes of the proceedings, Chelmsford City assistant manager Mickey Spillane told ClaretsTV he was satisfied that City had been put through a competitive runout on Monday evening at Melbourne Community Stadium. The Clarets’ pre-season campaign continues in less than 48-hours time, with another home test against higher level opposition, this time in the form of League Two side MK Dons.
Chelmsford City XI: Collins (GK); Penney (Trialist D 72’), Okonkwo (Trialist C 61’), Oguntayo, Blackman, Watts, Tamplin (Crichlow 61’), Ruff (Trialist E 72’), Kalala (Trialist F 72’), Hyde (Hockey 46’), Traialist A (Trialist B 46’).
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