HERTFORD TOWN 0 BRIMSDOWN ROVERS 0
Molten Spartan South Midlands League - Premier Division
Saturday 28th March 2009
Both sides went into this game on the backs of decent runs of form so it was perhaps a predictable irony of football that the game should end goalless. A sometimes bad-tempered affair, which saw two visiting players sent off, was dominated too much by the referee's whistle, with the changeable weather conditions doing little to aid a free-flowing game. In truth the home side should have wrapped it up by half time were it not for some poor finishing, though the vagaries of the British climate didn't do a lot to help. In the end the visitors celebrated as if they had won a cup final and the home side were left to look forward to their fourth home game in eight days on Tuesday evening. Teams- Hertford Town: 1. Lee Robinson, 2. Michael Cooper, 3. Pablo Ardiles, 4. Joel Maybury, 5. Glenn Draper (capt), 6. Matt McArdle, 7. Alex Scriven, 8. Owen Beale, 9. Attila Korsoveczki, 10. Dave Hunt, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used: Daryl Mitchell (for Beale), Ryan Gordon (for Ardiles), Scott O'Donoghue (for Korsoveczki).
Brimsdown Rovers: 1. Mark Virgo, 2. Bryan Turner, 3. Dale Archer, 4. Matt Toms, 5. Paul Campbell, 6. Ryan Dear, 7. Robert Teppett, 8. Charlie Moxom (capt), 9. Jamie O'Donoghue, 10. Ben Andreos, 11. Tony Nicola. Sub Used: Adam Moss (for Nicola).
The first real incident of the game involved a tangle between the two team captains and saw Hertford's Glenn Draper booked by the referee. A free kick for the home side followed, which Owen Beale played into the returning Attila Korsoveczki, but the big striker's effort was just over the bar. The ball was soon at the other end and the visitors were awarded a free kick, though this was hit wide of the target. The home side then won a corner but Beale's cross was poor and the ball was easily cleared.
On twelve minutes Korsoveczki did well down the left to cross the ball in to Dave Hunt, but his effort was just over. Another Hertford attack then saw a Lee Roberts effort saved former Blues custodian Mark Virgo. The ensuing corner was not a good one and the ball was easily cleared. Brimsdown's Dale Archer was then booked for an awful challenge on Korsoveczki. When the free kick was taken there was a clash of heads and the referee suspended play for a couple of minutes whilst Glenn Draper received treatment for his injury.
The ball was soon in the other half and Brimsdown won a corner, though this was poorly played behind. On twenty minutes a Blues' free kick saw the ball played to Lee Roberts who laid it back and it eventually came to Draper right in front of the Brimsdown goal. However with one of the best chances he will ever have in front of goal, the Hertford skipper fluffed his lines and the game remained scoreless. Brimsdown soon had the ball in the other half and won a free kick, though this came to nothing. They then won a corner, which was initially played short. When the ball did come in to the box however, any danger was averted by a spectacular headed clearance from Joel Maybury. Soon after, Rovers' captain Charlie Moxom, who was lucky not to have been booked for the earlier incident with Glenn Draper, was shown a yellow card for a foul on Dave Hunt.
Another Hertford attack soon followed and an Owen Beale cross found Attila Korsoveczki, whose volleyed effort just cleared Virgo's crossbar. A further Hertford attack saw a Korsoveczki long pass find Lee Roberts. He cut inside and managed to get a shot on goal, though Virgo got his fingertips to the ball and deflected it wide of the target. A couple of minutes later another awful challenge by Rovers' agricultural skipper, Moxom, this time on Korsoveczki, saw the Brimsdown player shown a second yellow card and quite rightly sent off. As he left the field he handed the captain's armband to Paul Campbell. The remainder of the half wasn't pretty as the players struggled to cope with the deteriorating weather conditions. The visitors won a free kick in a dangerous position, though this came to nothing. They then had Ryan Dear booked and the referee soon blew for half time.
Half Time Score: Hertford Town 0 Brimsdown Rovers 0
The home side started the second half the brighter of the two teams and within two minutes had forced a corner. However none of the Hertford players were able to create a chance following Lee Roberts' cross. Another Roberts cross soon after found Owen Beale, who hit his effort straight at Mark Virgo. A minute later Roberts again crossed the ball in, this time to Dave Hunt, but he too shot straight at Virgo.
As the conditions worsened the play became scrappy. Brimsdown won a corner, which came to nothing and Hertford were awarded two free kicks, neither of which threatened the visitors' goal. The home side then won a corner. Lee Roberts' cross was well placed and found Dave Hunt, but his headed effort was just over.
As the half approached the mid point there was a skirmish in the Hertford half, which involved the massed ranks of handbags of the majority of the players on the pitch. When the referee finally sorted the incident out, with the help of his far side assistant, Hertford's Joel Maybury and Brimsdown's Jamie O'Donoghue were both booked for their part in the melee. A Rovers' free kick followed, which was saved by Lee Robinson. The home side then made the first substitution of the match; Owen Beale being replaced by Daryl Mitchell. They then won a corner. Mitchell's cross was played to Dave Hunt, but he flicked the ball just wide.
Hertford soon won a free kick. Mitchell knocked the ball on to Alex Scriven, but his effort was wide. The visitors then made their first substitution; Adam Moss coming on for Tony Nicola. Soon afterwards they won a corner, though this came to nothing. The home side then made a double substitution; Ryan Gordon and Scott O'Donoghue coming on to replace Pablo Ardiles and Attila Korsoveczki respectively. Soon afterwards an Alex Scriven run was followed by the player cutting the ball back for O'Donoghue, but he shot straight at Virgo.
As the game entered the final few minutes of normal time, a foul by Brimsdown's Jamie O'Donoghue saw him receive his second yellow card and he became the second Rovers player sent from the field of play. With the visitors now down to nine men, Hertford began to lay siege to the Brimsdown goal. When a Blues' corner came in, Virgo punched the ball out. It fell to Matt McArdle who tried an overhead kick from the edge of the box, but his effort was wide. Another Hertford corner caused confusion in the Brimsdown box, with the ball pinging off a number of players before it finally fell to Alex Scriven, though he shot wide. With the game deep into injury time a Dave Hunt effort found the side netting, though a number of those in the Stable End initially thought it had gone in. In the Fifth minute of injury time Hertford won a corner, however no sooner had Scott O'Donoghue played the ball in that the referee blew the full time whistle.
Final Score: Hertford Town 0 Brimsdown Rovers 0