COLNEY HEATH 4 HERTFORD TOWN 0
Molten Spartan South Midlands league - Premier Division
Saturday 3rd October 2009
For the second time in under a week a misfiring Hertford Town side fell to a heavy away defeat. The exceptionally strong wind may have had an effect during this game, though the hosts appeared to cope with it without problem. The Blues did improve in the second half and held the home side over the second 45 minutes, but they will have to do a lot better than this if they expect a finish in the top half of the table at the end of the season. Teams - Colney Heath: 1. Tom Blackman, 2. Carl Ashton, 3. Alex Olcot, 4. Amodou Gerber, 5. Mark Teasdale (capt), 6. Jack Coombes, 7. Kevin Ashwood, 8. Greg Deacon, 9. Phil Jackman, 10. Ian Cooper, 11. Dean Parratt. Subs Used: Trevor Steven (for Ashton), Aaron Clarke (for Cooper), Lee Nolan (for Coombes).
Hertford Town: 1. Lee Robinson, 2. Ryan Gordon, 3. Alan Barker, 4. Matt McArdle, 5. Glenn Draper (capt), 6. Kevin Kilroy, 7. Pablo Ardiles, 8. Owen Beale, 9. Danny Ward, 10. Ryan Redford, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used: Alex Scriven (for Beale), Rob Luya (for Roberts), Michael Cooper (for Ward).
The first real incident of the game saw the home side awarded a free kick deep inside the Hertford half in the fifth minute. The kick was taken short and easily cleared by the visitors' defence. A rapid break by the Blues saw them win a corner at the other end. The kick was taken by Owen Beale but the ball was eventually cleared by the Heath defence. A few minutes later the hosts were 1-0 up. A ball from the left was hit across the face of Lee Robinson's goal where it found Kevin Ashwood unmarked at the far post and he easily buried his chance. A good move by the visitors soon followed and involved Lee Roberts, Alan Barker and Ryan Redford. The ball eventually fell to Danny Ward but he shot across the face of the goal. Just after the quarter hour mark Colney Heath were 2-0 to the good. An advancing home player easily beat Glenn Draper and passed to Ian Cooper, who was presented with another easy chance and duly obliged.
A few minutes later, Ryan Redford's frustration got the better of him and he was booked for dissent. In the 25th minute, a clumsy challenge by Draper on Ian Cooper saw the Hertford skipper bring down the Heath striker in the box for a penalty. Draper came off second best in the collision and required treatment. When the spot kick was eventually taken, Cooper struck the back of the net with ease to put his side 3-0 up. The next move of note saw the home side go 4-0 up. A cross from an advancing Heath player found the totally unmarked Dean Parratt, who scored another easy goal, with the Hertford defence once again having gone AWOL.
A good Hertford chance ten minutes from the break saw Kevin Kilroy play in Pablo Ardiles, who passed to Danny Ward. He took the ball forward and into the hosts' box, but hit a disappointing shot high and wide. Colney Heath then had to make the first substitution of the game as Trevor Steven came on for the injured Carl Ashton. With two minutes of the half remaining, the visitors forced a corner. However, Lee Roberts misjudged the strength of the wind and the ball was blown out of play before it could reach any of his team mates. Another couple of minutes of uneventful play followed before the referee blew the half time whistle.
Half Time Score: Colney Heath 4 Hertford Town
With the strong wind at their backs and now playing down the marked slope, it appeared that the home side would be able to further press home their advantage in the second half. However the game was rather more sedate after the break with far fewer chances being created. Just six minutes after the restart, the visitors were forced to make their first substitution, Alex Scriven coming on for the injured Owen Beale. The home side soon won a couple of consecutive corners though none of these came to anything, and then the visitors also won a corner, though Lee Roberts cross was easily cleared. On the hour mark the home side used their final two substitutions as Aaron Clarke and Lee Nolan came on for Ian Cooper and Jack Coombes respectively.
A few minutes later the visitors also made a second substitution as Rob Luya came on for Lee Roberts. Luya was soon in the thick of the action as Hertford won a free kick. He managed to get his head to a Kevin Kilroy cross but hit his effort well over the bar. The blues then made their final change, bringing on Michael Cooper for Danny Ward. The home side soon won a corner, though Kevin Ashwood's cross came to nothing. Another Heath corner a minute later was cleared. A good move by the hosts then saw Ashwood shoot from distance. His excellent shot was well saved by Lee Robinson at the expense of a Colney Heath corner. This was cleared behind by the Hertford defence and the follow up corner kick cleared. Another Heath corner was cleared a short while later and then the home side were awarded a free kick. As the ball came into the danger zone it found a home player but he hit his effort just wide.
As the game went into the final few minutes, Pablo Ardiles played in Rob Luya. He took the ball into the Heath box but his shot was saved by home custodian, Tom Blackman, for a Hertford corner, though Kilroy's cross was easily cleared by the well-marshalled Colney defence. On the stroke of normal time the home side were awarded a free kick inside the Hertford half. However it was easily cleared and the visitors mounted a rapid counter-attack, though this ultimately came to nothing. The last action of the game saw the visitors awarded a free kick, but as Kilroy's cross was cleared, the referee blew the full time whistle.
Final Score: Colney Heath 4 Hertford Town 0