Chelmsford City 6, Farnborough 2
(Vanarama Conference South)
CHELMSFORD City delivered another display of their firepower with a 6-2 victory against Farnborough which made it 13 goals scored in their last three games and sent them third in the table.
Boro surprised their hosts with an early goal from Louis Theophanous against the run of play before City skipper Mark Hughes volleyed home a sumptuous strike to level matters.
Michael Cheek managed to get the last touch on Jaanai Gordon's low cross not long before half-time to put the hosts into the lead. It was Cheek's 20th goal of the season on his 50th appearance for the club. That took his overall tally to 32 goals from those 50 games – a very healthy return from the Clarets striker.
He returned the favour to set up Gordon just after the hour mark for the West Ham loanee to ensure he has scored in each of his first four games since joining the club.
Michael Richens smashed home a goal from distance to give Farnborough hope with ten minutes to go. However, that disappeared when Gordon added his second before goals from Rohdell Gordon and substitute Nicky Nicolau sealed the game in the final moments.
The ground staff at Melbourne Park had worked tirelessly to get the game played on a day when much of the local football was wiped out by the heavy rain. The referee Wayne Porter allowed the club a 3.15pm kick-off time, to give them more time to sponge up the most sodden areas of the pitch.
Mark Hawkes, never one to tinker much with his side anyway, was not inclined to mess around with the team that saw off Ebbsfleet superbly on New Year's Day. The only change was an enforced one, with Marvin Ekpiteta coming in for the injured Yado Mambo.
Rohdell Gordon was hoping to impress yet again, having extended his stay from Sky Bet League Two side Stevenage the day before until the end of the season.
Farnborough came into the game in 18th spot, having experienced an upturn in form with two wins and a draw from their last three matches.
Chelmsford started confidently in the opening exchanges, but it was the visitors who struck first on seven minutes after an error in the City defence. The ball was given away just outside the Clarets' box and Theophanous rounded Bradley Watkins before slotting home from a tight angle.
Michael Cheek did well to send a header across goal three minutes later, which Farnborough goalkeeper Dillon Barnes palmed out, but there were no Chelmsford players supporting the big hitman.
Farnborough's Dan Bennett had the ball in the Clarets' net from a header soon after, only to see it ruled out for offside.
Moments later the same player managed to slide away a shot while falling in the box, which had Watkins scrambling across his goal as it rolled inches wide of the right post.
Then came Hughes' moment of sublime technique on 25 minutes, no doubt honed as a youngster at Tottenham Hotspur.
Jaanai Gordon saw his show deflected off a Farnborough defender and out towards the edge of the box. There was Hughes waiting to wrap his foot around the falling ball, catching it sweetly and sending it arrowing into the bottom left corner of the visitors' goal.
On 38 minutes, Cheek slid home his milestone goal, reaching Jaanai Gordon's low cross ahead of the sliding defenders.
The striker almost had his second two minutes into the second half when he latched on to a through ball, turned his man and rolled a low shot just past the right post.
Farnborough had the ball in the Chelmsford net moments later after Duncan Culley curled a low effort around Watkins, but the flag was again raised for offside.
Jaanai Gordon made things more comfortable for the hosts on 62 minutes, played in by Cheek's incisive through ball, and he delicately clipped the ball into the net over the arms of Barnes.
He was denied a second on 77 minutes when he ran through again on the right, but Barnes dived bravely at his feet to thwart him. Moments later, the keeper held on well to Cheek's powerful low effort from distance.
Culley went close for the visitors on 78 minutes, sliding the ball just wide from a low cross to the back post.
Farnborough were given hope on 80 minutes when Richens curled home a fantastic 30-yard curling effort that Watkins could only stand and watch fly past him into the net.
However, Jaanai Gordon ran clear and buried his second on 89 minutes before Rohdell Gordon jinked his way through on the edge of the box and smashed home a low effort a minute later.
The game was wrapped up when Nicolau found himself in acres of space to fire home fellow substitute Joe Ward's low cross in added time.
CHELMSFORD CITY: Watkins, Girdlestone, Toner, Hughes, Ekpiteta, Sawyer (Smith 74), Redwood, Jaanai Gordon (Ward 90), Cheek, R Gordon (Nicolau 90+1). Subs not used: Jake Gordon, Freund. Att: 687.
