HERTFORD TOWN 3 COLNEY HEATH 2
Molten Spartan South Midlands League - Premier Division
Tuesday 26th January 2010
This is not a result that many would have expected, including a number of the home side's most loyal supporters, especially after the visitors had taken the lead on the stroke of half time through a controversial penalty. However, the Blues put in arguably their best performance of the season, and the resolve they showed in the second half meant they finally got the result that their recent form has deserved. 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 Beale), Matt McArdle (for Roberts).
Colney Heath: 1. Tom Blackman, 2. Mark Teasdale (capt), 3. Barry Dowling, 4. Amadou Gerber, 5. James Dillnut, 6. Liam Beaumont, 7. Kevin Ashwood, 8. Trevor Stevens, 9. Phil Turner, 10. Ian Cooper, 11. Paul Armstrong. Subs Used: Aaron Clarke (for Turner), Scott Lacey (for Ashwood).
The home side were forced to make changes to the team that had been victorious at Biggleswade United at the weekend. Joel Maybury was still feeling the effect of the knee problem that had seen him leave the field early on Saturday and Alan Barker came in at the back. Kevin Cooper, wearing the number ten shirt, took on the captain's armband and for the first time this season lined up against his brother Ian, also wearing number ten for the visitors.
The game started with the visitors immediately attacking the Hertford goal, though the Blues counter-attacked and had the first chance but Attila Korsoveczki shot wide of the target. The next chance fell to the visitors when Hertford 'keeper, Lee Robinson, came out of his area and failed to clear, but the Heath attack could only hit the ball wide. Another Colney Heath attack in the ninth minute saw them win a corner, though this was cleared by the home defence. Two minutes later a good Hertford move saw Lee Roberts play in Rob Luya. He played the ball to Kevin Cooper and his spectacular overhead effort was only just wide of the target.
The breakthrough came in the thirteenth minute: Another good Hertford move saw Kevin Cooper play in ROB LUYA, who calmly controlled the ball and then shot beyond visiting custodian Tom Blackman into the back of the net - the first Hertford Town player to score at Hertingfordbury Park in 2010!
The visitors were soon back on the attack and forced a corner, though this was taken short and wasted. In the 20th minute Heath were awarded a free kick inside the Hertford half. Barry Dowling took the kick and found a team-mate, but he headed against the post. Two minutes later another corner for the visitors was taken short but cleared. Almost immediately they were awarded another free kick. Dowling again found the head of a team-mate but this time the ball was hit wide.
The first controversial moment of the game came in the 25th minute during another Heath attack. Ian Cooper appeared to have been brought down by Lee Robinson and the home supporters at the far end feared the worst. However, the referee saw nothing wrong and Cooper ultimately saw yellow for disputing the decision rather too much.
Just after the half hour mark the home defence were caught napping. A visiting player was allowed too much space down the left and able to take the ball into the Hertford box unopposed. He looked up and crossed to the unmarked KEVIN ASHWOOD at the far post who easily slotted home a somewhat soft equaliser against his old club.
The home side were soon back on the attack and a good move was only ended when Roberts shot straight at Blackman. A few minutes later the visitors wasted yet another corner, before the hosts counter-attacked and forced a corner of their own. Luya played the ball into the Heath box, where it was sliced by a visiting defender into the path of Hertford's Tom Neill. The ball had fallen somewhat unexpectedly to the full back and he hit his effort just wide.
As the half went into the final few minutes the visitors were awarded yet another corner, though again this was easily cleared. There then came the second controversial moment of the match: Another Heath attack saw IAN COOPER and Lee Robinson challenge for the ball, but in what seemed a 50-50 contest the referee blew the whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. Cooper himself stepped up to take the spot kick and on the stroke of half time blasted the ball past Robinson to give the visitors the lead at the break.
Half Time Score: Hertford Town 1 Colney Heath 2
Many in the ground thought the second half would just be a formality, with the visitors merely consolidating their lead and going away with the three points, but that's not how it panned out. Three minutes after the break the first chance of the half fell to the home side when they were awarded a corner. Owen Beale took the kick but the ball was cleared. Within a minute the same player took another corner kick but that was also cleared. Play soon moved to the other end and the visitors were awarded a corner. The ball was headed clear by Kevin Cooper but only as far as a Heath player, though he shot wide.
Eleven minutes into the half the home side were awarded a free kick, which Beale played into the visitors' box. After the ball had cannoned off a number of players a free kick was eventually awarded against the home side for offside. The visitors were soon on the attack again and forced another corner though this was taken short and cleared. They won another corner on the hour mark, though this came to nothing. The home side then made the first substitution of the game, sending on Dominic Musafiri (accompanied by his own personal theme tune, sung by the Stable End) and withdrawing Owen Beale.
The change seemed to give an added impetus to the home side and they began to dominate the game, the key moment coming eleven minutes after the substitution. A long ball was played through and Musafiri found himself challenging with two visiting defenders. It appeared the strength of numbers would win out but MUSAFIRI battled through, took control and hit an excellent shot past Blackman to equalise the scores.
The home side now seemed to sense that they could actually go on and win the match, though the next attack came from the visitors, who forced yet another corner. Again the ball was cleared and Hertford made their second change as Matt McArdle came on to replace Roberts. Another decisive moment soon followed: Musafiri played the ball to Korsoveczki and he passed to ROB LUYA. The left-sided player then made enough space for himself before blasting the ball past Blackman and into the back of the net to give the hosts the lead for the second time.
The visitors soon made their first substitution as Aaron Clarke made way for Phil Turner. A few minutes later another change for the visitors saw Scott Lacey come on for Ashwood. As the game went into the final minutes the home side maintained the upper hand. Two minutes into stoppage time a solo run by Korsoveczki was ended when he hit the ball straight at Blackman. It was not long before the referee blew the final whistle, giving the Blues their second consecutive victory and leaving them unbeaten in the league in 2010!
Final Score: Hertford Town 3 Colney Heath 2