MATCH REPORT- Chertsey Town 1-0 Gloucester CITY

A controversial second half winner by Chertsey Town captain Luke Robertson succumbed Gloucester City to their third scoreless successive defeat on the road in the Southern League Premier South.

The first half by the Tigers was a joy to watch as they played some of their best football on the road all season but were unable to find the telling touch that would see them go in with a deserving lead heading into the interval.

Elis Watts was at his menacing best as he cut inside on numerous occasions with shots going just wide of the right hand post and being palmed away by Josh Strizovic in the Curfews goal.

The away side were testing Strizovic with numerous shots from range with a Brandon Smalley strike being saved well, and a venemous strike by Ed Williams going just wide.

The hosts did offer a threat but were unable to create much although they nearly scored the opener which would have been against the run of play after getting in behind the cumbersome City defence but a strike went just wide of Jared Thompson's right hand post.

The best chance of the first half and probably for the entirity of the game came to last weeks goalscoring here Joe Hanks but he was unable to add to his 20 goals for the 2024/25 season.

A lovely floated ball in by Daniel Leadbitter four minutes before the first half whistle fell to the path of Hanks but his effort went straight into the hands of the on loan Dagenham and Redbridge goalkeeper, the 30-year-old was unlucky after hitting it first time without realising that he may have had more time on his hands.

That was the interval with the away side having much more of the ball with the Surrey based side sitting in a low block but unable to hit on the counter attack due to the superiority of City's possesion.

The Curfews came out a different animal to the side who were lucky to still be in the game at the half-time whistle and were pyling the pressure on the City camping the away side into their own half with a number of shots rolling into the path of Thompson, while the third highest scorer in the division Jack Mazzone squanded his own chance when his header from a Cole Brown cross when just wide of the right post.

The hosts did deserve the lead when they took the lead eight minutes after the second half whistle but it was the controversial manner that it went in that will have frustrated the Gloucester coaching staff and players alike.

Hanks was down with a suspected head injury after battling Town's players in the air, but with the hosts continuing to build momentum and penning City in their own half were unwilling to stop play.

Two incredible saves by Thompson in the City goal was just delaying the inevitable with the away side unsure on how play had not been stopped; but that could not excuse the lackadaisical defending that gave Luke Robertson time and space to score what would eventually be the winning goal.

Robertson hooked the ball into the bottom left corner akin to that of a bicycle kick that left the 26-year-old helpless and stranded as the ball nestled in.

City manager Mike Cook rung the changes but his sides were unable to create much as the Curfews sat well in their block and were always a threat on the counter with the away side pushing men forward to kick-start a comeback.

The best chance fell to Hanks again in the second half but it wasn't a clear cut opportunity that his first effort was as his looping header went over the net but it was not a chance of any real note.

Tempers frayed in the second half partly due to frustration from the goal that City had conceded and the referees decision to not stop playing and also with Chertsey with ambitions of staying in the league after getting promoted via winning the Isthmian South Central title in 2023/24.

This was their fourth match unbeaten in a row and with City unable to create chances aplenty that they had done in the first half this was a fairly comfortable second half for the hosts.

On balance of play after the goal they had the better chances to extend their lead further in the second half, instead choosing to kill the game off in the corner rather than having a strike away.

This was another disappointing away performance by City who now have won just two of their last seven games in the league and are hoping to finish the league season as quickly as possible before a likely away trip in the play-offs.

The Tigers have won just six away games out of 20 in 2024/25 and will need to get back on track by building some momentum with already relegated Marlow up next, before a trip to Swindon Supermarine and another home fixture against Gosport Borough to finish the regular season.

Before todays fixtures, there was a chance that City could have booked their spot in the top five but that was dented after the defeat in Surrey, with Dorchester Town defeating Walton & Hersham to close the gap to four points, while Havant & Waterlooville drew 1-1 away to Taunton Town.

It was a missed opportunity after the Swans defeat but if they beat Marlow and the Magpies or the Hawks failed to defeat Frome Town and Bracknell Town respectively, City can look at todays defeat as a bump in the road before they prepare for the play-offs and an instant return to the National League North.