HERTFORD TOWN 0 HANWELL TOWN 3
Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Cup - Quarter Final
Tuesday 19th January 2010
It is very difficult to explain the result of this match as the final score does not really reflect the game that preceded it. Hertford Town dominated for large parts of the match and it could be argued, were overall the better footballing team on the night. However, a defensive comedy of errors, a superb strike after a quick break and a goal scored when everyone should have been warming up in the changing rooms and clubhouse meant that 3-0 it was. The Blues will play worse than this and win games and although the result was a disappointment, the team performance bodes well for the rest of the season. Teams- Hertford Town: 1. Lee Robinson, 2. Matt McArdle, 3. Tom Neill, 4. Attila Korsoveczki, 5. Michael Cooper, 6. Joel Maybury (capt), 7. Rob Luya, 8. Joe Scales, 9. Owen Beale, 10. Kevin Cooper, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used: Andy Chapman (for Korsoveczki), Alan Barker (for Neill), Tom Oram (for Luya).
Hanwell Town: 1. Berkeley Lawrencein, 2. Ian Jimmy, 3. Marvyn Watson, 4. Matt Kidson (capt), 5. Matt O'Brien, 6. Aaron Wise, 7. Yassine Fehmi-Gil, 8. Chris Mills, 9. Charley Baverstock, 10. Blaise O'Brien, 11. Tashan Bradshaw. Subs Used: Wayne Jackson (for Wise), Aonghus Martin (for Fehmi-Gil).
The game started off pretty evenly with the first incident of note coming early in the third minute, when the visitors were awarded a free kick deep inside the Hertford half. However, Chris Mills' effort was played straight into the arms of Blues' custodian, Lee Robinson. Disaster struck for the home side less than a minute later: Tom Neill attempted to shepherd the ball out of play for a Hertford goal kick but a Hanwell player got the better of him, took the ball and played it into the box. The threat appeared to have been averted when Robinson held the ball, but he was clattered by one of his own players, dropping the ball and allowing Tashan Bradshaw an easy tap over the line to give the visitors an early lead.
The home side were not daunted by the early setback and began to dominate the game. In the fifth minute they forced a corner, though Lee Roberts' cross was eventually cleared. Three minutes later the same player hit a powerful shot on target, only for Hanwell stopper, Berkeley Lawrencein to pull off a superb save. The Blues continued to apply pressure from the resulting corner, though Kevin Cooper eventually headed wide. Approaching the quarter hour mark, further Hertford pressure saw Roberts shoot just wide. In a rare attack by the visitors a couple of minutes later, Yassine Fehmi-Gil also fired wide after a quick break.
The Blues' dominance was soon restored as a rapid counter-attack saw Rob Luya play in Kevin Cooper, but the Hertford striker hit his effort at Lawrencein. In the 25th minute the visitors were forced to make an early substitution as the injured Aaron Wise made way for Wayne Jackson. Just after the half hour mark, Luya was fouled by Hanwell's Matt O'Brien, deep inside the visitors' half, though the resulting free kick came to nothing. A few minutes later the scores should have been level: After a good move by the home side, Attila Korsoveczki found himself one on one with Lawrencein. With the Hanwell 'keeper already going to ground, Korsoveczki hit a tame shot straight at him and the chance was gone. With two minutes of the half remaining, the home side were awarded a free kick on the edge of the visitors' box, though Roberts shot wide. Then, on the stroke of half time, a break by the visitors should have seen them extend their lead. However, with only Robinson to beat, the ball was played across goal and went harmlessly behind. It wasn't long before the referee blew the half time whistle.
Half Time Score: Hertford Town 0 Hanwell Town 1
The visitors started the second half strongly and forced a corner within seconds of the restart. Fortunately Joe Scales was on hand for The Blues to head off the line as the cross came in. Hertford immediately countered and were awarded a free kick inside the Hanwell half. Korsoveczki's cross found Scales but he headed just wide. The home side then began to totally dominate the game again, though lacking that killer punch. Twenty minutes after the break a good move saw the ball come to Luya but he hit his shot too close to Lawrencein. The Hanwell custodian immediately cleared upfield, launching a rapid counter-attack for his team. The ball came to Bradshaw and he rifled in a shot from distance to score his second goal of the game. Totally against the run of play the visitors had managed to extend their lead.
The home side remained upbeat and soon put a good move together involving Korsoveczki, Roberts and Luya, though the latter eventually shot wide. A few minutes later Hanwell's Matt O'Brien hacked down Kevin Cooper. It was certainly not the visiting player's first foul of the game and he was rightly shown the first yellow card of the match. The resulting free kick was taken by Korsoveczki but the chance came to nothing. Korsoveczki was soon on the receiving end of another bad Hanwell challenge, this time from Jackson, and the diminutive substitute also saw yellow. Kevin Cooper took the resulting free kick but his effort was poorly hit. A rare Hanwell attack then saw them win a corner, though this came to nothing.
With quarter of an hour to go, and probably with more than an eye on Saturday's league game, Hertford manager, Scott O'Donoghue made a triple substitution. Korsoveczki, Neill and Luya made way for Andy Chapman, Alan Barker and Tom Oram. The change was possibly made a little too early however, as just three minutes later Kevin Cooper went down following a clattering challenge, though the referee took a while to realise the Hertford player was hurt. After some treatment on the pitch, Cooper was helped off and the home side were forced to play the remainder of the game with ten men.
The depleted team still continued to dominate however, and after a good Roberts effort had been saved, were awarded a corner. Roberts himself took the kick and found substitute Chapman, who headed against the bar. With the game going into stoppage time the visitors made a second change as Aonghus Martin came on for Fehmi-Gil. Deep into stoppage time the home side's luck was just about summed up as the ball fell to Blaise O'Brien following a Hanwell attack. The prolific striker made no mistake in putting his side 3-0 up. But still the referee played on. Hanwell then had another chance but Charley Baverstock shot wide. Finally, after seven or eight minutes of stoppage time and with the result having been decided considerably earlier, the referee blew the final whistle.
Final Score: Hertford Town 0 Hanwell Town 3