HERTFORD TOWN 3 BIGGLESWADE UNITED 2
Molten Spartan South Midlands League - Premier Division
Tuesday 25th August 2009
At the fourth attempt the Blues finally got their first league win of the season, though left it a bit late to wrap up the three points, indeed one could understand if the travelling supporters felt they had been mugged on the night. The defence still looks a little awkward in the absence of Glenn Draper but the resolve shown by the team after being behind twice was immense. And whoever thought that a tactical substitution bringing on Andy Chapman for Owen Beale could be such a work of genius? Teams- Hertford Town: 1. Lee Robinson (capt), 2. Michael Cooper, 3. Pablo Ardiles, 4. Harry Atkins, 5. Laurence Revell, 6. Matt McArdle, 7. Scott O'Donoghue, 8. Owen Beale, 9. Daryl Mitchell, 10. Attila Korsoveczki, 11. Lee Roberts. Sub Used: Andy Chapman (for Beale).
Biggleswade United: 1. Gavin Carr, 2. Jason Darvall, 3. Kyle Lincoln, 4. Martin Russell, 5. Chris Balazs, 6. Edwin Leslie, 7. Ross Kane, 8. Andre Maltay (capt), 9. Emanuel Langlais, 10. Chris Francis, 11. Luke Lincoln. Sub Used: Mark Holmes (for Francis).
The first chance of the game fell to the home side in the third minute, when they were awarded a free kick well inside the Biggleswade half. However, Daryl Mitchell's effort was over-hit and fell harmlessly behind. The visitors immediately responded with a chance of their own, but the final effort lacked any power and was easily gathered by Lee Robinson. United's Emanuel Langlais then had another chance for his team but shot softly and wide of the target.
Unlikely previous games the home side hadn't been undone by early goals caused by defensive errors and began to show some dominance. In the ninth minute a Mitchell corner was cleared and soon after a free kick by the same player was headed clear by the visitors. In the fourteenth minute Pablo Ardiles had a chance but hit his effort well wide of the target. A minute later Hertford were awarded another free kick in a dangerous area, but Mitchell's effort was again over-hit and fell harmlessly behind.
Mid way through the half, Biggleswade's Martin Russell took the ball full on in the face as one of his defensive colleagues attempted a clearance. He fell to the ground like a sack of spuds and play was suspended for a few minutes while he received treatment. A lesser player may have left the field of play but after while he was back on his feet and back into the action. On the half hour mark Harry Atkins became the first player to see yellow after a clumsy challenge on Biggleswade's skipper, Andre Maltay. Maltay himself took the resulting free kick and the ball pinged about in the Hertford box before finally falling to United's Luke Lincoln. His shot lacked power however and was easily picked up by Robinson.
In the 35th minute disaster struck for the home side. The visitors had started to come back strongly into the game and a Luke Lincoln corner appeared to come off a number of heads before finding that of Martin Russell. He made no mistake in nodding the ball over the line and giving the visitors the lead. Biggleswade continued their dominance after the goal and won a succession of corners as the Hertford defensive frailties again began to surface. Fortunately for the home side the visitors efforts were all kept in check, the best chance falling to Chris Balazs, who headed wide.
In the final minute of normal time at the end of the half a Biggleswade free kick in a dangerous position was taken by Maltay, but the ball was headed behind by one of his own players. Because of the earlier injury to Russell, there were a few extra minutes played at the end of the half. Well into stoppage time, as he has done so many times already this season, Lee Robinson pulled off an outstanding save, this time at point blank range, to stop the visitors doubling their lead. In the fifth minute of injury time the visitors won another free kick, but Maltay's effort came to nothing and the half time whistle was soon blown.
Half Time Score: Hertford Town 0 Biggleswade United 1
Within three minutes of the restart the home side were back on level terms. A long ball was held up by Attila Korsoveczki, who then passed inside to Scott O'Donoghue. O'Donoghue blasted the ball from outside the box and it fizzed past United custodian Gavin Carr and into the back of the net.
Four minutes later Hertford were awarded a free kick. Daryl Mitchell's effort was deflected behind but nothing came of the ensuing corner. Ten minutes into the half, Biggleswade won a free kick but the ball was hit behind. A minute later the Hertford defence was again all at sea and they were unable to close down Chris Francis. He gave Robinson no chance and restored the visitors' lead with a well-taken goal. In the 64th minute the home defence could only look on as Emanuel Langlais blasted a powerful shot off the crossbar. The beleaguered back line were relieved to see the rebound blasted over the bar.
Mid way through the half, Biggleswade's Chris Balazs became the second player booked after a foul on Mitchell. Hertford goal scorer, O'Donoghue soon followed, though was shown a yellow card for an incident where he clearly won the ball. There was soon chaos in the Hertford defence again and they were fortunate to see a United shot hit wide.
The turning point of the game came in the 74th minute. A tactical substitution saw the home side withdraw Owen Beale and send on Andy Chapman; a move not universally greeted by the home supporters, well not for the first few seconds anyway. Chapman was soon in the thick of the action and less then a minute after coming on sent in a superb cross from wide on the left. The ball found Korsoveczki who expertly directed his header past Carr and restored parity once more.
Michel Cooper soon became the third Hertford player booked for a foul, which was closely followed by a Biggleswade substitution; Mark Holmes replacing Chris Francis. As the game went into the final few minutes there appeared to be a feeling among the home players and supporters that the Blues may even go on and win the game. A powerful Korsoveczki shot brought a fine save out of Carr, though the ball crossed in from the resulting corner was headed wide. Shortly afterwards United won a corner at the other end, but it was taken short and the threat easily snuffed out. With a minute of normal time remaining, further good work by substitute Chapman saw the big striker force a corner. Mitchell's well taken kick initially fell to Chapman but he flicked on to Korsoveczki who made no mistake in converting his second header of the night and giving the home side an unlikely lead. There was much fingernail biting for the next couple of minutes by the home support as they willed the referee to blow the full time whistle. Their hopes were soon realised when the referee blew an end to proceedings, which was met with the loudest cheer of the night. The first league win of the season had not exactly been achieved in the easiest fashion, but it had been achieved and this must surely have boosted the confidence of the team.
Final Score: Hertford Town 3 Biggleswade United 2