Glenn Pennyfather admitted his City team “failed to meet their own high standards” in a 2-2 stalemate with Farnborough, though the Clarets still showed sufficient character to recover from falling behind twice to claim a point through goals from Max Cornhill and Cliff Akurang.

 

City competed for the final 19 minutes with a one-man advantage after the dismissal of left-back Joshua Pearson for a second booking but the home side were unable to force home a winner. Skipper Adam Bygrave and Doug Bergqvist netted for Boro at Melbourne and Pennyfather claimed he’d hoped for more from his players after such an impressive display at Havant & Waterlooville at the weekend.

 

“We’re frustrated and disappointed because the standards we set on Saturday haven’t been met,” he reacted at full time. “We did fantastically well as a group at Havant but in the first half tonight we were trying to do the nice bits and not the horrible ones. There were some choice words said at half time and we came out with a higher tempo, but even then we conceded another terrible goal, losing needless headers.”

 

Sitting behind that defence was goalkeeper Stuart Searle, who had recovered from illness to claim his place back from Joe Woolley. Though he was left exposed inside the opening minute as Reece Connolly was afforded space down the right flank to swing in a cross which a diving header from Tony Garrod directed inches wide. Esmond James was next to threaten on 9 minutes, cutting in from the left and firing at Searle.

 

There was a blow for City when Adam Tann was forced to leave the field with a back injury after just 12 minutes and, other than a David Rainford header wide from a Ben Nunn dead ball, the Clarets started slowly. James, meanwhile, was a menace on Boro’s left and only a last-ditch block from Mark Haines, Tann’s replacement, stopped him after he rounded Searle and had the whole goal to aim at mid-way through the half.

 

Another late intervention, this time from Kenny Clark, denied Matt Pattison though Farnborough did move ahead on 36 minutes. Ashley Winn’s right-sided corner wasn’t claimed or cleared by the Clarets’ defence as it dropped into the goalmouth where Bygrave was happy to take responsibility for the loose ball from a yard.

 

This prompted Chelmsford into action, and a superb 40th-minute equaliser. Palmer’s quick throw-in and one-two with Rainford saw him thread the ball to Ricky Modeste on the corner of the box. His carefully-measured cross was then stood-up to the near post where Cornhill was making a run and he brilliantly headed into the top corner.

 

The scores were level at the interval but Gary Haylock’s visitors were keen to restore their lead soon afterwards, James heading into the box again from the left on 50 minutes only to curl wide of the post, but six minutes later Bergqvist fared better. Another flag kick from the right was dropped onto the penalty spot where a header careered towards the midfielder who was in the goal area, his telescopic leg doing the rest.

 

City had to come from behind again but there was still hope, especially from free kicks as Modeste was continually and cynically send to ground. The winger himself shot wide on 68 minutes but seconds later Akurang equalised out of nothing. When seemingly being shepherded out for a throw on the right, the striker burst round his marker and sprinted inside where his prodded finish hit a defender and found the net.

 

Frustration grew larger in the Farnborough back line when Pearson tripped Modeste once more for his second booking in seven minutes, leading to his 71st-minute red card. Hungry for the win, Pennyfather then watched with horror as Kezie Ibe was wrestled to the ground by the last defender, Philip Appiah, who was only booked. “They’d already had one sent off and I thought it should have been two,” Glenn remarked.

 

Try as they did, Chelmsford just couldn’t find that winner, Modeste having half-volleyed inches wide and Warren Whitely and Akurang combining for the latter to launch a diving header just off-target before the Ibe incident. Aiden Palmer and Rainford went close with free kicks and Cornhill tried his luck acrobatically from the corner of the six yard box, shooting at goalkeeper Alex Tokarczyk and later heading a Nunn cross wide.

 

Farnborough saw out the remaining minutes, taking every opportunity to run down the clock, and this added to a frustrating evening for Glenn, who concluded: “We strive for consistency and need to put in good performances week in, week out. In every game so far we’ve created chances but the players left the pitch disappointed tonight. We’ll put things right for Saturday and not fall below what we expect of ourselves.”

 

City:

 

1 Stuart Searle

2 Ben Nunn

3 Aiden Palmer

4 Adam Tann

5 Kenny Clark

6 David Rainford (C)

7 Greg Morgan

8 Jermaine Brown

9 Cliff Akurang

10 Max Cornhill

11 Ricky Modeste

 

12 Sam Corcoran

14 Mark Haines (On for Tann, 12)

15 Kezie Ibe (On for Morgan, 54)

16 Warren Whiteley (On for Modeste, 77)

19 Joe Woolley (GK)

 

Farnborough: Alex Tokarczyk, Nathan Webb, Joshua Pearson, Philip Appiah, Adam Bygrave (C), Doug Bergqvist, Esmond James (Tommy Murphy, 54), Ashley Winn, Tony Garrod, Matt Pattison, Reece Connolly. Unused Substitutes: Callum Cobb, Brad Fraser, Ben Myers, Jake Somerville.

 

Bookings: City: Whitely (90+3, foul). Farnborough: Webb (25, foul), Pearson (64, foul and 71, foul).

 

Sent Off: Farnborough: Pearson (71, second bookable offence).

 

Referee: Gary Jerden (Orsett).

 

Assistant Referees: Neil West (Leigh-on-Sea) and Michael Smith (Basildon).

 

Attendance: 764.

 

City Man of the Match: Aiden Palmer.