Full time: Chelmsford City 1-1 Chippenham Town
A debut goal from Jordan Greenidge helped Chelmsford City earn a point against Chippenham Town on Monday afternoon.
24-year-old forward Greenidge, whose move to the EMJ Community Stadium was confirmed prior to kick-off against the Bluebirds, made a swift impact in a Claret shirt when his clinical finish in the 85th minute drew City level with Gary Horgan’s side. Greenidge’s debut strike cancelled out Matt McClure’s first half goal, which put the visitors ahead in the 36th minute.
Monday’s match in Essex marked the second game which both teams had played in the previous 48 hours. To keep his Chelmsford City side fresh, manager Robbie Simpson made three changes to the eleven which started Saturday’s game against Weston-super-Mare. Archie Tamplin, Kane Crichlow, and Freddie Hockey came into the fray at the expense of Callum Watts, Osman Foyo, and Jake Hyde. New signing Greenidge, who scored 24 league goals in his 54 game stint playing for National League South rivals Tonbridge Angels, was named among the substitutes by Simpson.
During the opening 30 minutes of the proceedings, both sides squandered inviting chances to draw first blood on a warm afternoon in Essex. Three minutes into the match, Charlie Ruff was unable to convert Freddie Hockey’s low cross into the six-yard box, with the City captain’s effort from close-range going behind for a corner.
Two minutes later, it was Chippenham’s turn to come close to opening the scoring when Tyreke Johnson forced Clarets goalkeeper Ted Collins into making a smart save. Former Chelmsford City man Johnson stretched the City defence after making a run in-behind, but was unable to place the ball past Collins, who made himself big and saved Johnson’s effort with his face. Similarly, in the 24th minute, Hockey was able to stretch the Chippenham backline and got behind the Bluebirds’ defence before he unleashed a shot from a tight angle, which Will Henry saved with his feet.
In the 36th minute, Chippenham Town captain Matt McClure put the visitors ahead when he scored his first National League South goal of the 2024-25 season. McClure got the better of Sam Gale inside the Clarets’ penalty area and then produced a powerful shot which went across goal and into the bottom corner of the net.
On the cusp of half-time, City skipper Charlie Ruff missed another golden opportunity to open his 2024-25 National League South account. Sam Oguntayo’s cross into the penalty box deflected off of a City player’s head and dropped invitingly to Ruff inside the Chippenham Town six-yard box, but the attacking midfielder put his first-time effort the wrong side of the post.
In the second period, Gary Horgan’s men chose their moments to pressurise City in the final third and nearly capitalised on some moments of indecision from the Clarets at the back. McClure picked Ryan Blackman’s pocket high up the pitch and drove towards goal, but was unable to slot the ball past Collins who saved the forward’s effort. Later on in the half, a miscommunication between Collins and first half substitute Ike Orji left Harry Parsons with an open net to score in. However, the forward’s goal-bound effort was impressively cleared off the line by the retreating Arthur Penney.
Moments later, Chippenham were made to rue their missed chances when Chelmsford City equalised. Callum Watts exploited a gap in the Bluebirds’ backline and threaded a through ball into the path of debutant Greenidge, who made no mistake in front of goal when he slotted his effort past Henry after going through one-against-one.
In added time, the Clarets committed bodies forward as they looked to completely turn the game on its head. Simpson’s side came ever so close to doing so when once more, Greenidge got the beating of Henry after his shot struck from inside the penalty area flew past the Chippenham goalkeeper. However, Greenidge was denied a debut brace by the woodwork, when his effort cannoned off of the crossbar.
Watts and Greenidge weren’t the only City players to impact the game positively after coming on in the second period; Osman Foyo also produced a lively cameo following his introduction in the 55th minute. Deep into added time, the Ipswich Town loanee produced some good play down the right flank before cutting a cross back to Watts, who produced a powerful shot that fizzed over the crossbar and behind for a goal kick.
Missed chances meant that City were unable to find a crucial second goal of the game in added time, meaning Robbie Simpson’s side shared the points with Gary Horgan’s men at full-time in Essex. The Clarets return to National League South action at the weekend when Simpson and his team make the long journey to Cornwall to face Truro City in their new stadium.
Chelmsford City XI: Collins (GK); Gale (Watts 73’), Penney, Donaldson; Williams (Orji 43’), Blackman, Crichlow (Foyo 55’), Tamplin, Oguntayo; Ruff ©, Hockey (Greenidge 63’).
Unused substitutes: Kalala.
Yellow cards: Orji.
Chippenham Town XI: Henry (GK), Colwell, Grant, Haines, Johnson (Dawes 63’), McClure © (Bradbury 77’), Spokes (Mehew 89’), Mannings (Owen-Evans 86’), Williams (Amadi-Holloway 55’), Parsons, King.
Unused substitutes: none.
Yellow cards: Parsons, Mannings.
Match Officials: Charles Martland (Referee), Kieran Bailey (1st Assistant), Simon Parbery (2nd Assistant), Barrington Ellison (Fourth Official).
Attendance: 834
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