HULLBRIDGE SPORTS 1 HERTFORD TOWN 3
FA Vase - First Qualifying Round
Saturday 5th September 2009
The last time Hertford Town played in the FA Vase, a makeshift Blues side went down 8-0 at Tiptree United in 2008. This year the first game of the competition saw another trip into deepest Essex to face the side that had knocked the Blues out of last season's East Anglian Cup. The omens were not looking good and with Spartan League Vice President, Norman Ingram, who had been at the Tiptree game, also in attendance, the visitors may have been fearing the worse. Any fears however, were completely unjustified as the Hertford Town team that went into this game was an altogether stronger outfit than the ones that had previously faced Tiptree and Hullbridge. Teams - Hullbridge Sports: 1. Lawrence Priddle, 2. Tila Phillips, 3. Jack Joy, 4. Tony Lane, 5. Stuart Hepburn, 6. Lee Daves (capt), 7. Chris Brown, 8. Dan Ringer, 9. Dan Cook, 10. Tom Dosser, 11. Jamie Cheesewright. Subs Used: Luke Horton (for Joy), Ben Britnell (for Lane), Jordan Greenway (for Phillips).
Hertford Town: 1. Lee Robinson, 2. Michael Cooper, 3. Harry Atkins, 4. Laurence Revell, 5. Glenn Draper, 6. Daryl Mitchell, 7. Scott O'Donoghue, 8. Pablo Ardiles, 9. Ryan Redford, 10. Adam Furness, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used: Louis O'Neill (for Robinson), Danny Ward (for Mitchell), Attila Korsoveczki (for Furness).
The game started pretty slowly with neither side creating much until the eleventh minute when Hertford Town won a free kick in a dangerous area. Daryl Mitchell's effort was powerfully hit but was just wide of the target. Two minutes later the Blues were awarded another free kick and this time Scott O'Donoghue stepped up to take the kick, but his effort also came to nothing. Quarter of an hour into the game the visitors won their first corner. Mitchell's cross led to a scramble in the Hullbridge box and the ball was cleared behind for a second corner kick to the Blues. Mitchell passed to Adam Furness who shot over the bar, though was kicked as he took his shot. The referee however saw nothing. Shortly afterwards the home side were forced into an early substitution, Luke Horton replacing the injured Jack Joy.
A few minutes later Furness went on a surging run into the Hullbridge box and was brought down. The referee made no mistake this time and pointed straight to the penalty spot. Mitchell made no mistake in rifling the ball into the back of the net to give the visitors the lead. A short while later Hullbridge's Tony Lane was booked for a foul on Ryan Redford. On 25 minutes Hertford won another free kick. Mitchell's effort was cleared and the home side mounted a rapid counter-attack. They were then awarded a free kick of their own, which was taken by Tom Dosser, however his dangerous cross was headed well clear by O'Donoghue. Six minutes later the visitors were awarded another free kick inside the Hullbridge half, which was taken by O'Donoghue. However, the referee adjudged there to have been an infringement in the box and awarded a free kick to the home side. A minute later a good move by the visitors saw O'Donoghue feed the ball to Furness, but his powerful effort hit the side netting. The home side's Chris Brown then had a good chance but hit his effort wide to the left of Lee Robinson's goal.
The visitors were soon on the attack again and were awarded another free kick. O'Donoghue's cross somehow evaded all of his team mates and was put behind for a corner. Mitchell's corner kick found the heads of two Blues players before being cleared upfield. Brown again found himself in with a good chance but this time hit his effort wide to the right. With just a few minutes of the half remaining the home side were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Hertford box. Dosser played the ball onto the head of one of his team mates but it fell straight into the arms of a grateful Robinson. The visitors then had a good chance. Good interplay between Pablo Ardiles and Ryan Redford should have resulted in a second goal but somehow the chance was squandered. The ball was soon up the other end and Dosser hit an effort across the face of goal, when he probably should have done better. His persistence would soon pay dividends however. Following a communication breakdown in the Hertford defence, Dosser was left in a one on one situation with Robinson. He calmly lobbed the visiting custodian to level the scores. It seemed that the teams would go into the break all square but the visitors had other ideas. Soon after the restart, Lee Roberts playing on the right passed the ball to Furness, who shot from inside the Hullbridge box. His effort was saved by home custodian Lawrence Priddle, but the ball fell to Redford who made no mistake with the follow-up and sent the visitors into the half time break 2-1 to the good.
Half Time Score: Hullbridge Sports 1 Hertford town 2
The visitors again started the more dominant team at the beginning of the second half. Two minutes after the restart, Lee Roberts had a chance but saw his effort saved by Priddle. The home side soon won a free kick inside the Hertford half but the effort was hit straight at Lee Robinson. Another free kick soon afterwards was deflected off the Hertford wall for a corner to the home side. The corner kick was well taken but the ball was expertly hooked clear by Harry Atkins. A few minutes later the home side won another free kick but Dosser's effort was hit behind. On the hour mark Hullbridge were awarded another free kick. This time Dosser's cross was cleared and Hertford mounted an immediate counter-attack, though Roberts hit his shot disappointingly straight at Priddle. The home side then made their second substitution, bringing on Ben Britnell for Tony Lane.
The game was effectively over as a contest in the 63rd minute. An excellent move by the visitors saw Ryan Redford play the ball in to Lee Roberts. He passed to Adam Furness and the powerful striker made no mistake in burying his effort past Priddle and into the back of the net to give the visitors a 3-1 lead. Harry Atkins was soon booked for a foul on a Hullbridge player, though he appeared to have fairly won the ball. The home side then won a corner but the ball was easily cleared by the visitors' defence. With twenty minutes remaining Hertford were forced into a goalkeeping substitution. Lee Robinson had suffered an injury to his side in an earlier collision and could continue no further. Fortunately the Blues had named a goalkeeper among their substitutes and Louis O'Neill took the field of play.
A second Hertford substitution soon followed as Danny Ward replaced Daryl Mitchell. Another good move by the visitors saw Furness play in Redford. His shot was saved and the ball rebounded to him, only for his second effort to be stopped by Priddle. The Blues then won a corner though Lee Roberts' effort came to nothing. Scott O'Donoghue then had an effort saved. With ten minutes remaining the visitors made their third and final substitution, Attila Korsoveczki coming on for Furness. They soon won another corner though again Roberts' effort was cleared. A Hertford free kick soon followed but O'Donoghue's shot was cleared. A rare Hullbridge attack then saw Jamie Cheesewright shoot wide when he probably could have done better.
With just a couple of minutes remaining the home side made their final substitution, Jordan Greenway replacing Tila Phillips. They then won a free kick though Dan Ringer's effort was easily cleared. Another good Hertford chance then saw Korsoveczki play the ball in for Ward to shoot but his effort was saved. One of the most bizarre incidents came in the final minute of the game. Ryan Redford went on a surging run but tripped as he neared the Hullbridge box. The referee decided that he had been brought down by a Hullbridge player and despite Redford sportingly telling the official that he had indeed fallen over, the Hullbridge player was booked and Hertford awarded a direct free kick. Lee Roberts sportingly hit the ball straight to Priddle and the game was soon over.
Final Score: Hullbridge Sports 1 Hertford Town 3