HERTFORD TOWN 5 STANSTED 1
South Midlands Floodlight Cup - First Round
Tuesday 3rd November 2009

This really was a game of two halves. Hertford Town totally dominated the first period, going in 5-0 up and it seemed a case of just how many they would score in the second. However, as has happened before this season, the second half performance was very different to the first. The home side still dominated the half but the visitors came out with more fight than in the first. Both sides had plenty of chances to score but the second forty-five minutes just produced a single goal for Stansted. Hertford Town now face a home fixture in the second round of this competition against Royston Town.

Teams- Hertford Town: 1. Louis O'Neill, 2. Michael Cooper, 3. Harry Atkins, 4. Ryan Gordon, 5. Glenn Draper (capt), 6. Joel Maybury, 7. Jason Coughlan, 8. Lee Roberts, 9. Dominic Musafiri, 10. Kevin Cooper, 11. Rob Luya. Subs Used: Joe Scales (for Gordon), Attila Korsoveczki (for Coughlan), Pablo Ardiles (for Draper).

Stansted: 1. Paul Seymour, 2. Billy Sendall, 3. Tommy Spillane, 4. Kieren King, 5. Luke Giddings (capt), 6. Jack Dallender, 7. Dwight Gayle, 8. Lewis Dark, 9. Ryan Murray, 10. Jamie Haywood, 11. Vinnie Durrant. Subs Used: Richard Mann (for Gayle), Kevin Vallis (for Spillane), John Bricknell (for Giddings).

The first real action of the game in the fourth minute, led to the opening goal. Lee Roberts put in a dangerous cross from wide on the right and under pressure from Jason Coughlan, Stansted's JACK DALLENDER headed the ball past his own 'keeper and into the back of the net, to give the home side an early lead. Three minutes later the visitors won a corner, then on the quarter hour mark Hertford also won a corner kick. The ball was initially cleared but came back in, though the final shot was wide. Stansted soon won a free kick though this was easily cleared by the home defence.

Hertford doubled their lead in the seventeenth minute. Harry Atkins passed the ball to Rob Luya on the left and he fired into the Stansted box. The ball was partly cleared but only as far as LEE ROBERTS, who was lurking at the edge of the box. He hit a well executed shot past visiting custodian, Paul Seymour and into the back of the net, for his first Hertford Town goal of the season. Three minutes later the home side won a corner but this was poorly taken and did not threaten Seymour's goal.

In the 24th minute however, Seymour's defences were breached once again. Stansted's Kieren King gave away a free kick following a handball deep inside his own half, an offence for which he was also booked. Kevin Cooper took the resulting free kick, though this was initially saved by Seymour. However, he only parried the ball and it fell to LEE ROBERTS for an easy tap-in over the line. After a further ten minutes of play dominated by the home side, Roberts turned provider; he played the ball into ROB LUYA, who controlled well inside the Stansted box before firing a shot into the goal to make the score 4-0.

With five minutes of the half remaining the visitors mounted a rare attack and won themselves a corner. The ball was played into a dangerous position in the Hertford box, but headed well clear by Ryan Gordon. As the end of the half approached the home side won another corner. The ball was played into the Stansted box and after a scramble fell to KEVIN COOPER, who made no mistake in rifling the ball into the back of the net to give his side a five goal advantage. Almost immediately after the restart, the referee blew the half time whistle.

Half Time Score: Hertford Town 5 Stansted 0

The visitors made some changes at half time. Substitute Richard Mann took over the goalkeeper's jersey whilst first half 'keeper Seymour moved up to midfield, and Dwight Gayle was withdrawn. Within two minutes of the restart the home side also made a change as Joe Scales came on for Ryan Gordon. Three minutes later Stansted had pulled a goal back; a JAMIE HAYWOOD effort from the edge of the box was fired through a group of players, before it cannoned off the left post and crossed the line beyond the unsighted Louis O'Neill. Hertford immediately responded and won a corner at the other end though Roberts' cross was cleared. A Stansted corner was then also cleared.

Ten minutes into the half the visitors won a free kick. The ball was played in to Lewis Dark, who shot on goal, but his effort was cleared. The visitors continued to pressure and O'Neill was forced to pull off a great save at the expense of a corner, though this was cleared. Hertford then made their second substitution, sending on Attila Korsoveczki for Jason Coughlan. The visitors then won another free kick. Dark played the ball into the Hertford box and it found one of his team mates, though he blasted over. Stansted immediately made their second change, bringing on Kevin Vallis for Tommy Spillane, which was soon followed by their final substitution; John Bricknell replacing Luke Giddings.

It was not long before Hertford Town player/manager Pablo Ardiles made the Blues' final change. Clearly feeling he needed some extra height at the back, he sent himself on in place of skipper Glenn Draper! Stansted then won a corner, though after a brief scramble the ball eventually fell to O'Neill. Two minutes later it seemed the home side would score their sixth. A lovely flick-on by Dominic Musafiri fell nicely into the path of Korsoveczki. He skilfully controlled the ball, taking it round defenders and setting himself up with a chance on goal. His shot was well-taken but excellently saved by Mann. From the resulting corner, Musafiri headed wide of the target.

A few minutes later Musafiri played in Ardiles, who hit a powerful shot from within the Stansted box, but it was straight at Mann. A Korsoveczki corner shortly afterwards was cleared by the visiting defence. As the game went into the final fifteen minutes, the home side won a free kick inside the Stansted half. Harry Atkins' effort was hit round the Stansted wall and was on target, but saved by Mann.

A Stansted attack seven minutes from time saw Lewis Dark shoot wide. The home side immediately countered but Korsoveczki was brought down by Jack Dallender, for which the Stansted player received his side's second caution of the game. Lee Robert's resulting free kick was cleared. The home side soon had another chance when they were awarded another free kick, which was again taken by Roberts. However, the referee adjudged that there had been an infringement by a Hertford player and the visitors were awarded a free kick inside their own box. After very little further play, the referee decided enough was enough and blew the full time whistle, with no stoppage time played.

Final Score: Hertford Town 5 Stansted 1