BROXBOURNE BOROUGH 3 HERTFORD TOWN 0
Molten Spartan South Midlands League - Premier Division
Tuesday 2nd February 2010

Following another short break enforced by the cold weather over the weekend Hertford made the short trip down the A10 to play Broxbourne Borough. Whilst the score line suggests a comfortable victory for the home team, the match was an even affair for much of the evening and had an unchanged Hertford team converted some of their chances, the outcome could have been very different.

Teams- Hertford Town: 1. Lee Robinson, 2. Pablo Ardiles, 3. Tom Neill, 4. Joe Scales, 5. Michael Cooper, 6. Alan Barker, 7. Lee Roberts, 8. Owen Beale, 9. Attila Korsoveczki, 10. Kevin Cooper (capt), 11. Rob Luya. Subs Used: Dominic Musafiri (for Roberts), Matt McArdle (for Scales), Andy Chapman (for Ardiles).

Broxbourne Borough: 1. Obey Murefu, 2. Nicky Marsh, 3. Rob Kemble, 4. Mick Nathan, 5. Matt Watts, 6. Jamie O'Donoghue, 7. Danny Ward, 8. Daryl Mitchell (capt), 9. Murat Karagul, 10. Mark Brennan, 11. Rob Tungett. Subs Used: Jimmy Martin (for Tungatt), Ross Price (for Brennan).

The first action to speak of saw Joe Scales commit a foul on the Hertford left in the second minute. Playing his first competitive match since being sent off playing for Hertford in November, Daryl Mitchell swung the ball dangerously in to the box but it was well cleared from around the penalty spot. A minute later Murat Karagul seemed to be through on goal, Hertford custodian Lee Robinson was alert to the danger and came out smartly to clear.

The first chance for Hertford came on 5 minutes, an astute pass by Pablo Ardiles was dummied on the edge of the box, Kevin Cooper was only just unable to reach the ball and it was safely picked up by Murefu. Three minutes later and another chance for Hertford, possibly their best of the match, when good perseverance by Rob Luya enabled him to put Kevin Cooper clear in the box, with only the keeper to beat, his shot when agonisingly wide.

On 10 minutes the first yellow card of the evening was given to Tom Neill for a rash challenge in the middle of the field. The Broxbourne free kick came to nothing and Hertford were able to quickly break, a fine run from inside his own half to the edge of the home team area, Luya passed again to Cooper, only for him to see his flicked attempt on goal cleared by a defender. The resultant corner caused mayhem in the Broxbourne area, a header by Cooper was well saved and a follow up shot by Lee Roberts was deflected wide for another corner which was this time wasted by the visiting team.

On 15 minutes, Luya and Cooper again linked up, a long clearance was flicked on by Cooper, allowing Luya to shoot from the edge of the box, his shot seemed to be deflected over the bar but the referee thought otherwise and awarded a goal kick.

Another long clearance by Lee Robinson again caused problems for the Broxbourne defence on 19 minutes, the ball was missed by a defender and allowed Kevin Cooper to advance on goal, his flick over another defender appeared to strike his arm but the referee must have been unsighted as he waved away the appeals for a penalty and only awarded a corner.

The last few paragraphs would suggest to the reader that Hertford were dominant in the first twenty minutes, in truth the game was very even, it just seemed that the better chances fell to the visiting team. This changed in the 22nd minute when Broxbourne were guilty of missing their first clear cut opportunity, a cross from the right looked like providing Jamie O'Donoghue with a guilt edged chance to open the scoring, his poor control forced him wide and his shot was blocked by Robinson, a follow up shot around the penalty spot was again blocked on the line by a defender.

Two minutes later Broxbourne had another chance which they did not waste, a quick break down the left saw the Hertford defence outpaced by Karagul, his cross found JAMIE O'DONOGHUE who redeemed himself for his earlier miss by hitting a powerful shot into the roof of the net giving Robinson no chance.

Hertford immediately tried to respond, a shot by Joe Scales from 30 yards in the 25th minute was well struck but plucked from underneath his crossbar by Murefu. This only proved a brief respite for the Hertford defence as three minutes later a hopeful punt forward was miscued by Michael Cooper into the path of Karagul, with only the advancing keeper to beat he produced a very poor finish, he lobbed the ball over Robinson's head but wide of the post.

On 36 minutes a Robinson clearance again caused problems, a high ball was misjudged by Matt Watts, Cooper and Luya combined well again before the Broxbourne defence were able to regroup and clear their lines.

The pace of Karagul was evident once more in the 39th minute as he broke dangerously down the Hertford left, he beat the last defender but as he broke in from the touch line he was thwarted by Robinson, winning a corner which came to nothing.

HALF TIME - BROXBOURNE BOROUGH 1 HERTFORD TOWN 0

The second half began in much the same was as the first, whilst possession was equally shared it was Hertford who created the clearer chances. On 47 minutes Attila Korsoveczki shot from distance but cleared the bar, further good work in midfield by the same player two minutes later found the impressive Rob Luya in space down the left but his cross was cleared.

On 53 minutes Lee Roberts found space in midfield and threaded an inch perfect pass over 30 yards into the path of Luya on the edge of the penalty area, for once his usual good touch let him down and Murefu was able to smother the ball.

On the hour mark Broxbourne created their first good chances of the half, only a slip by a forward when in a great position enabled Hertford to clear, the resultant short corner created a chance for a shot which went just wide.

The first substitution of the evening arrived in the 61st minute, Jimmy Martin replacing Rob Tungett for the home team. Moments later Rob Luya broke in from the left hand side and drilled a ball across the six hard box, Rob Kemble was the first to the ball and was extremely fortunate to see his sliced clearance loop over his own cross bar.

On 65 minutes Kevin Cooper saw yellow as he clattered into ex Hertford player Matt Watts as he cleared the ball, shortly afterwards Broxbourne made their second substitution, Ross Price replacing Mark Brennan.

On 69 minutes Hertford won a free kick out on the right, it was swung across by Lee Roberts and found it's way to the far post and headed inches wide by Michael Cooper. Had it found the target, it would not have counted as the referee had spotted an infringement elsewhere in the penalty area.
Michael Cooper again went close in the 74th minute, this time at the wrong end, when he inadvertently headed against his own bar as he was the first to meet a Daryl Mitchell free kick.

Scott O'Donoghue made a double substitution with 15 minutes remaining, Matt McArdle and Dominic Musafiri coming on to replace Scales and Roberts. The previous Tuesday these two players had come on as subs, made an immediate impact and played a huge part in turning around the game against Colney Heath, sadly the feat could not be repeated as two killer blows were landed by Broxbourne over the next seven minutes.

Following a needless booking for Broxbourne's substitute Ross Price, he flicked the ball out of the hands of Pablo Ardiles as he was about to take a throw in, the dangerous MURAT KARAGUL broke away down the left in the 80th minute, latching onto a long through ball, he beat the Hertford defence and the advancing keeper to double the lead for his team.

Broxbourne then sealed the win in the 82nd minute, the move again started down the left but was this time neatly moved across the pitch eventually to substitute JIMMY MARTIN who fired in an unstoppable 30 yarder into the top far corner over the despairing dive of Lee Robinson.

The remaining minutes were relatively uneventful, Andy Chapman came on to replace Pablo Ardiles as Hertford's third substitute but was not able to make an impression on the game. A rash challenge by Mick Nathan presented a free kick to Hertford in the D of the penalty area, the ball was curled by Owen Beale over the wall and just over the bar.

One further chance fell to Hertford, another shot by Owen Beale was well saved by Obey Murefu, before the referee brought proceedings to an end.

FULL TIME - BROXBOURNE BOROUGH 3 HERTFORD TOWN 0