GOCREA8 Southern 2
Plymouth Uni A 3, Chard 3

CHARD headed down to Lipson to face league leaders Plymouth Uni A, and after last week's disappointment at Bude they needed to up their game for this tough fixture.

The game started tensely with both teams battling to get some control.

It was Chard who opened the scoring, though, Adam Veitch driving the ball into the bottom corner.

Plymouth then put Chard under a lot of pressure, forcing some great reaction saves from Oscar Smith and some solid defending from the back four, but eventually they pulled level with a well-worked short corner.

Chard came straight back at them though, with a perfectly weighted ball from Liam Murphy for Veitch to run onto and blast over the oncoming keeper and into the net.

Plymouth were reduced to 10 with the Plymouth captain receiving a green card for his relentless questioning of the umpire.

Chard failed to capitalise on the one-man advantage, but they still went in for half time with the lead.

Plymouth came out all guns blazing, and the Chard back four of Crease, Green, Grabham and Johnson battled well to not let anything through.

Plymouth's persistence eventually paid off, forcing a mistake from the Chard defence and their striker nipping in to make the scores level.

Chard heads did not drop, however, and Plymouth began to lose their composure, their frustration beginning to show with numerous fouls and plenty of vocal outbursts.

It was this that eventually undid them, with Veitch being bundled over on the 25 and Chard awarded a short corner.

Wakely sent an unstoppable drag flick into the net, and despite the frantic appeals for an infringement on the drag out, the goal stood and Chard had the lead.

Plymouth really upped the pressure and Chard were desperately hanging on to their lead.

After a goal-bound ball found a Chard foot on the line Plymouth were awarded a penalty flick, which they duly converted.

The last five minutes were tense and the game could have gone either way but it ended level.

A good performance from Chard to shorten the gap to the top spot.

Penzance now lead the table with 25 points, ahead of Plymouth Uni A on 24, and Chard and Camborne SoM, both on 22.