GUILDFORD CITY 3, BADSHOT LEA 2

BADSHOT Lea let a two-goal advantage slip at the Spectrum Ground as Guildford City continued a winning streak that has carried them into the top half of the Combined Counties League Premier Division.

The city side missed a flurry of decent chances early on, Darren Caesar coming closest with a shot that grazed the bar, and it seemed their profligacy would cost them dearly as Badshot Lea stormed back into the game.

The Baggies almost took the lead when Noel Keeble reacted superbly to push Paul Coventry’s shot against the post, but, undeterred, the visitors scored twice in the space of two minutes. Guildford were punished for some sloppy marking at a corner and an unmarked Darren Blake headed Badshot Lea into a 26th-minute lead.

Two minutes later, another corner was cleared only to the edge of the box where Coventry swivelled and shot into the bottom corner.

Had the Baggies taken their 2-0 lead into half- time, they probably would have won, but City had the psychological boost of a goal on the stroke of the interval. Tom O’Connor seized his chance to curl a shot into the top corner from fully 30 yards.

Guildford went on to dominate the second half.

Jack May saw a low shot stopped by Pat Kinsella’s leg, but an equaliser always looked on the cards and it arrived on 71 minutes. May ran onto another through-ball and this time forced the ball past Kinsella.

It seemed that Badshot Lea would escape with a point when Kinsella stopped a power header from full-back James Davies, but City came again and snatched the winner on 88 minutes.

Chad Goulter played a clever ball into the box and Tyrame Hemmings cut it back from the byline for May to nudge home his second goal.

Five consecutive wins for Guildford and just one defeat in their last 11 games.

Badshot Lea suffered another defeat in midweek, losing 3-0 away to mid-table Knaphill. The Baggies dominated the first half, but were denied any reward by a combination of excellent goalkeeping and poor finishing.

Knaphill were a transformed side in the second half and goals from Robbie Kersley (2) and Jimmy Norman sealed the three points.