Guildford City remain bottom of the Combined Counties League Premier Division South after a 2-0 defeat at Tadley Calleva on Saturday.

With twin strikers in Tobi Shoyoye and Emeka Okakpu, Guildford looked to get the ball forward early. In the second minute Shoyoye laid the ball off to Naison O’Neill in space in the box, but a defender blocked his effort at full stretch.

Alex Miller saw a lot of the ball on the right for Tadley and his 20-yard piledriver was not held by Marvin Wood, but the Guildford keeper bravely saved a second effort.

Okakpu won a challenge with Tadley goalkeeper Donnacha Burke on the edge of the box but nobody could convert the loose ball.

On 39 minutes Tadley opened the scoring when Kieran Rodgers raced away to shoot past Wood and inside the far post.

Guildford were quick out of the traps after the break. Luca Le Page tried to pick his spot but his effort went just wide, Okakpu’s flick was saved by Burke for a corner, and on 49 minutes Shoyoye set up Okakpu, whose piledriver was acrobatically saved by Burke.

As so often Guildford were made to pay for not scoring by Tadley notching their second. The ball was played across the edge of the box where Sheldon Wright’s shot on the turn found the corner.

Guildford might have responded immediately when Joel Oppong was upended in the box, but referee Sobastien Frazer waved play on.

Tadley shot inches wide on the hour, then with his last kick Oppong sent a challenging cross through the danger area but nobody got a touch.

On 76 minutes, from a Guildford corner, Ben Drake’s shot from an angle was cleared off the line. In the final moments Tadley fluffed a good chance, but a third goal would have been harsh on Guildford.

Barry Underwood