COCKFOSTERS 2 HERTFORD TOWN 1
Molten Spartan South Midlands League - Premier Division
Saturday 7th March 2009
Last week a Dr Jekyll Hertford Town team quite easily saw off the challenge of basement side Holmer Green. This week's visit to the side just above them saw the Hertford Mr Hyde take the field of play. There were few changes to the side; Louis O'Neil made a rare start between the sticks in place of the poorly Lee Robinson and Chris Spiteri came in for the injured Andy Chapman. However the performance just wasn't there for some reason and the home side gathered a very valuable three points in their fight against relegation from the Premier Division.
Teams - Cockfosters: 1. Paul Daley, 2. Charlie Morgan, 3. Steve Kessack, 4. Matt Keogh, 5. Tom Boxer, 6. Michael Casey, 7. Joe Smith, 8. Rakim Richards, 9. Danny Curbelo, 10. Nathan Eno, 11. Keiran Bishop.
Hertford Town: 1. Louis O'Neil, 2. Pablo Ardiles, 3. Duncan Hamilton, 4. Joel Maybury, 5. Glenn Draper (capt), 6. Matt McArdle, 7. Owen Beale, 8. Dave Hunt, 9. Alex Scriven, 10. Chris Spiteri, 11. Rob Luya. Subs Used: Ryan Gordon (for Hamilton), Scott O'Donoghue (for Spiteri).
It was probably the visitors who shaded the opening minutes of the game though for much of this time there was a dour contest played out in the middle of the park with no chances either way. In the 11th minute Hertford mounted the first real attack of the game. Rob Luya played in Dave Hunt but the midfielder sliced his effort wide, when he probably should have done better. A couple of minutes later it was the hosts on the attack and they won a free kick wide on the left, inside the Hertford half. The ball was played into the box but easily cleared. They then one another free kick in a more central position but this too was cleared. A third free kick from a similar position came to nothing. The visitors then won a free kick inside the Cockfosters half, however Duncan Hamilton's effort was played straight into the arms of the loud but jovial home 'keeper, Paul Daley.
In the 21st minute disaster struck for Hertford Town and for Duncan Hamilton in particular. Cockfosters' Keiran Bishop put in a cross that caused chaos in the Hertford box. The ball was deflected and came off the unfortunate Hamilton to cross the line to give the home side a 1-0 lead, though a Cockfosters player lying on the line made sure of the outcome. Four minutes later it was 2-0. Louis O'Neil looked on, inexplicably motionless, as a ball played in from the Cockfosters right, sailed over his head and cannoned off his crossbar. The ball fell to Danny Curbelo, who hit a shot straight at O'Neil, but somehow the ball squirmed through the legs of the calamitous custodian and crossed the line to double the score.
As the game went past the half hour mark Hertford won a free kick, but Hamilton's effort, from quite some distance was too powerfully hit and cleared Daley's crossbar. Chris Spiteri soon found himself in a good central scoring position but he too shot over. Matt McArdle then became the first player of the afternoon to be booked, for a foul on a Cockfosters player. The home side's Joe Smith was also shown a yellow card. It was Smith himself who stepped up to take the free kick that resulted from McArdle's foul, but his effort was wide. Cockfosters soon won another free kick, which this time was taken by Nathan Eno, though his shot was also just wide.
In the 40th minute the visitors were forced to make an early substitution. Ryan Gordon came on to replace Duncan Hamilton, who had picked up an injury. Two minutes later Owen Beale was uncharacteristically dispossessed in his own half by Cockfosters' Keiran Bishop, who then tried a shot on goal, but it was wide. As the game went into first half stoppage time Hertford won a free kick. Beale played the ball in but it was headed wide and the referee immediately blew the half time whistle.
Half Time Score: Cockfosters 2 Hertford Town 0
The visitors started the second half much brighter than they had the first. Within two minutes of the restart they had a half chance, but Spiteri's shot was hit softly, straight at 'keeper Daley. The home side soon won a free kick but Joe Smith's effort was blasted over O'Neil's crossbar. The visitors then made their second substitution, bringing on Scott O'Donoghue for his first Hertford Town first team appearance, in place of Chris Spiteri. Within two minutes the substitution had reaped its reward, The powerful O'Donoghue played in ROB LUYA who calmly controlled the ball and then directed a superb shot past Daley and into the back of the Cockfosters net. The best goal of the game had brought the score back to 2-1.
The referee soon tried to exert his influence on the game and rapidly booked two home players in succession; Steve Kessack for dissent and Rakim Richards for kicking the ball away. Hertford had a free kick following the brandishing of the cards, which was taken by Owen Beale. His dangerous ball into the Cockfosters' box was headed behind by the home defence. Rob Luya took the resulting corner, which came straight back out to him. He played the ball back in but it was then cleared.
The home side then mounted a rapid break. Nathan Eno played in Joe Smith and it seemed that with most of the Hertford defence stranded upfield, scoring was nothing more than a formality. However, Smith placed his shot wide to the left of O'Neil's goal. The visitors soon mounted another attack and one of the better moves of the game saw Scott O'Donoghue pass to Rob Luya, who played in Dave Hunt, but his shot was over the bar.
As the game approached the last quarter of an hour of normal time O'Donoghue had the ball under control just outside the Cockfosters box, but he was felled by a vicious two-footed tackle from Rakim Richards. The Cockfosters player was shown his second yellow of the game, though it could quite easily have been a straight red, given the nature of the offence. Owen Beale took the resulting free kick, which found the head of Dave Hunt, but his effort was over. The visitors soon won a corner, again taken by Beale but this time easily cleared. The Blues were soon on the attack again however. Beale crossed to Alex Scriven, who presented Dave Hunt with what seemed like an easy scoring opportunity. His day was summed up though, when he hit his shot over the bar.
With the visitors now pushing forward in numbers to try and grab an equaliser it was only a matter of time before the home side caught them on the break. With less than two minutes of normal time remaining they did just that, though somehow the resulting shot was hit wide when it seemed easier to score. As the game went into injury time the same situation arose, and with the same unbelievable outcome. As the game went further into stoppage time Hertford won a free kick, which was well taken by Owen Beale, his effort being tipped over the bar by Daley. Beale himself took the corner but the ball was hit behind and after seven minutes of injury time the referee finally blew the full time whistle.
Final Score: Cockfosters 2 Hertford Town 1