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HOLMER GREEN 0 HERTFORD TOWN 3
Molten Spartan South Midlands League - Premier Division
Saturday 15th November 2008
For the first time this season, Hertford Town recorded two successive victories. This was not a pretty match and for a large part of the first half the travelling support were concerned this was going to be the third consecutive poor Saturday result. However, a Dave Hunt hat trick and some shocking misses by the home side ensured the visitors came away with all three points.
Teams - Holmer Green: 1. Gareth Tinsley, 2. Jake Gilbert, 3. Jamie Pike, 4. Chris MacDonald, 5. Andy Goddard, 6. Rich Wallace, 7. Ben Sturgess, 8. Jay Gould (capt), 9. Dave Allen, 10. Andy Shed, 11. Nick Little. Sub Used: Lee Taylor (for Sturgess).
Hertford Town: 1. Louis O'Neill, 2. Chris Spiteri, 3. Duncan Hamilton, 4. Joel Maybury, 5. Glenn Draper (capt), 6. Matt McArdle, 7. Jamie Abbott, 8. Owen Beale, 9. Andy Chapman, 10. Dave Hunt, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used: Attila Korsoveczki (for Chapman), Michael Cooper (for Beale), Alex Scriven (for Hunt).
The visiting team began the game as the more dominant side, though with little penetration through the home defence for the first few minutes. On five minutes Hertford Town won their first free kick in a threatening position. The kick was taken by the returning Lee Roberts, but the move came to nothing. However the visitors continued to pressurise their hosts, though on 14 minutes it was Holmer Green who won a corner, the set piece coming to nothing. Three minutes later the home side won a free kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the Hertford box. The ball was powerfully hit by captain, Jay Gould but his shot was wide.
On 22 minutes there was panic in the Hertford Town goal mouth and it seemed inevitable that the hosts would score, but somehow the ball was kept out. During the melee the referee had spotted an infringement and Green's Dave Allen duly became the first player in the official's book. Four minutes later the visitors had a good chance with a free kick wide on the right, but the opportunity was wasted. Just before the half hour mark Holmer Green had two successive corners, but they were unable to make anything of either chance.
As the half wore on (and for the supporters it was very wearing!) the visitors' dominance faded away and although both teams at this stage were looking rather poor, it was the hosts who seemed most likely to break the deadlock. On 33 minutes Owen Beale became the first and only Hertford Town player to receive a yellow card, for a clumsy challenge in the centre of the park. Four minutes later the home team won a corner, but like so many good opportunities presented to them, they failed to take advantage.
As the game approached half time, with neither side appearing to pose any threat, then Lee Roberts went on one of trademark runs down the left. Skipping past the challenges of two home defenders, who seemed intent on bringing him down rather than winning the ball, the agile winger was able to get an excellent cross into the box. The ball found DAVE HUNT, who hammered the ball into the back of the net to give the visiting side a somewhat unlikely lead at the break.
Half Time Score: Holmer Green 0 Hertford Town 1
The second half began with the same dour play by both teams that had dominated much of the first. It was noted however, by the more diligent, yet unenthused supporters, that there were far fewer leaves on the pitch at the far end of the ground than there had been at the clubhouse end!
A quarter of an hour into the half Hertford Town won a free kick but the ensuing set piece came to nothing. Lee Roberts then had a chance but again, his effort reaped no rewards. Shortly afterwards the home team had a gilt-edged opportunity at the other end, but once again were guilty of some shocking finishing. They won a corner but this chance was also wasted. At this time the visitors made the first change of the afternoon, bringing on Attila Korsoveczki for the tiring Andy Chapman.
Hertford seemed to wake up after this and half way through the half put together a good move, which saw Jamie Abbott fire in from wide on the right, though his shot just cleared the far post. Five minutes later the visitors put together another good move. Jamie Abbott again had control of the ball, this time in a central position. He played the ball right to DAVE HUNT, who, with the defence having been bamboozled by the move, found himself in plenty of space and was able to calmly slot the ball past 'keeper Tinsley to make the score 2-0.
A few minutes later Holmer Green's Andy Goddard became the third player to be shown a yellow card, after he had made a number of tackles that were not to the referee's liking. The home side won a corner though, but once again they wasted a good opportunity. They then made a substitution, bringing on Lee Taylor for Ben Sturgess. Within a minute of the change the visitors put together another good move. Attila Korsoveczki controlled the ball well and passed to Owen Beale. The midfielder confidently took the ball into the box, but before he could get in a shot he was brought down for a clear penalty. There was only really ever going to be one player to step up and take the spot kick: DAVE HUNT placed the ball on the spot and blasted it wide to the 'keeper's right, and it hit the back of the net just inside the post. At 3-0 down there was no coming back for the home team.
Shortly after the goal the visitors made their second substitution, bringing on Michael Cooper for Owen Beale. Holmer Green then won a corner, but this came to nothing. Two minutes later they won another corner kick. This time the ball was well played into the Hertford box, but from the resulting shot, the ball hit the crossbar, just about summing up the home team's afternoon of frustration.
A minute before the end of normal time the visitors made their third and final substitution, bringing on Alex Scriven for hat trick hero Dave Hunt, who left the field to an ovation from the away supporters. There was time for Scriven to get involved in the game, but as he took the ball towards the Holmer Green box he was thwarted by blatant shirt pulling from the home side's Jay Gould. For this, Green's skipper was shown the latest yellow card. Hertford were unable to increase their lead from the resulting free kick and the referee soon blew the final whistle.
Final Score: Holmer Green 0 Hertford Town 3
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