HERTFORD TOWN 2 ST MARGARETSBURY 2 aet
(Hertford Town won 4-2 on penalties)
South Midlands Floodlight Cup - Quarter Final
Thursday 9th April 2009
This game was probably as close as it gets to being a good old fashioned, local derby cup tie, and it was great to hear vociferous support for both sides. The home side had enough chances in the first half to put the tie beyond doubt, but some poor finishing meant they went into the break with only a slender advantage. The visitors dominated the second half and fully deserved their equaliser, but it meant the supporters, fingernails already bitten down, had to endure half an hour of injury time. This passed off without too much incident and the game went to the dreaded penalty shoot-out. Fortunately for the home side, this brought out the best in goalkeeper Lee Robinson, who saved two of the four penalty kicks taken against him and sent his team into the semi-final of the competition.
Teams- Hertford Town: 1. Lee Robinson, 2. Michael Cooper, 3. Rob Luya, 4. Joel Maybury, 5. Glenn Draper (capt), 6. Jamie Abbott, 7. Owen Beale, 8. Dave Hunt, 9. Attila Korsoveczki, 10. Daryl Mitchell, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used: Ryan Gordon (for Luya), Matt McArdle (for Mitchell), Alex Scriven (for Korsoveczki).
St Margaretsbury: 1. James Sturgeon, 2. Simon Hayward, 3. Ed Taylor, 4. John Barker (capt), 5. Steve Barker, 6. Ben Wiper, 7. Kevin Ashwood, 8. Andy Birnie, 9. Mitchell Linger, 10. Ben Herod, 11. Martin Stickland. Subs Used: Adam Lawton (for Ashwood), Paul Taylor (for Wiper), Scott McGuinness (for Stickland).
This was the second time the two sides had played one another in less than a month and with a number of players having played for both sides, there was no surprise that in the first few minutes both teams cancelled each other out. The first chance of the game fell to the home side in the 7th minute when they won a corner, but this came to nothing as visiting 'keeper James Sturgeon was adjudged to have been impeded following Daryl Mitchell's kick. Further Hertford pressure came from a throw in six minutes later. The ball fell to Rob Luya, but his shot was high and wide.
This being a local derby and also a cup tie meant that there had to be moments of controversy, and the first of these occurred midway through the half. Having retrieved the ball following a Bury attack, Blues 'keeper Lee Robinson then appeared to push over visiting defender Steve Barker in the box. After consultation with his assistant the referee showed Robinson a yellow card (when many in the ground thought he might get a straight red) and awarded the visitors a penalty. Barker's brother and St Margaretsbury captain John, stepped up to take the kick and made no mistake in burying it beyond Robinson and into the back of the net to give the leaders a 1-0 lead. The lead was to last just two minutes however, as following a Hertford attack, Sturgeon spilled the ball at the other end and Attila Korsoveczki was on hand to calmly slot the ball into an empty net to level the scores.
Within five minutes the hosts had taken the lead. A Hertford corner was taken by Lee Roberts but initially cleared. The ball fell to Jamie Abbott who played it back into the Bury box, where the visitors' Andy Birnie was adjudged to have committed a foul. He was shown a yellow card and the home side were awarded a penalty. Dave Hunt stepped up to take the kick, mindful that his previous penalty had been hit wide. There was no mistake this time however, and he buried his effort past Sturgeon and into the net.
With five minutes of the half remaining Hertford won a corner, which was played in by Jamie Abbott. This was initially cleared but was then played back in and there was good interplay between Abbott and Daryl Mitchell, though ultimately the chance came to nothing. The home side then won another corner, this time taken by Mitchell, though this was hit behind. The visitors immediately mounted a counter-attack and a dangerous cross was played into the Hertford box. Glenn Draper got a head to the ball but it required an excellent diving save from Lee Robinson to prevent his skipper scoring a rather embarrassing own goal. The visitors were unable to make much of the resulting corner. Almost on the stroke of half time there was a clash of heads between Hertford's Joel Maybury and Bury's Andy Birnie. Following treatment to both players the referee booked Maybury and awarded St Margaretsbury a free kick. This was taken by Kevin Ashwood but came to nothing and the half time whistle was soon blown.
Half Time Score: Hertford Town 2 St Margaretsbury 1
Having clearly had a rocket from manager Lee Judges during the interval, the visitors came out with far more purpose at the beginning of the second half, and within a minute of the restart Mitchell Linger had a shot on the Hertford goal, though his effort was wide. The hosts soon had a chance however, when they were awarded a corner. Lee Roberts took the kick short and it was played back to him. The ball eventually fell to Daryl Mitchell but his shot was hit over the bar. The visitors immediately countered, though a shot from distance by Andy Birnie was hit wide. This was the prelude to a period of dominance by the visiting side. They soon won a free kick, which was taken by Ed Taylor, though the ball was punched clear by Lee Robinson. Bury soon won a corner, though this came to nothing. They then had a speculative shot from wide on the right, but this was off target. Another corner soon followed though this also came to nothing.
Halfway through the half the home side made their first substitution, bringing on Ryan Gordon for Rob Luya. A second change soon followed when Daryl Mitchell made way for Matt McArdle. Hertford then won a corner, which was taken by Owen Beale but easily cleared by the Bury defence. With a quarter of an hour of normal time remaining the visitors then made their first change, withdrawing Kevin Ashwood and sending on Adam Lawton. They were soon put in with a chance, but Ben Herod's shot was hit straight at Lee Robinson. Skilful passing between Hertford's Attila Korsoveczki and Lee Roberts then saw the ball fall to Dave Hunt though his shot was wide.
With less than ten minutes of normal time remaining the visitors got the equaliser they justly deserved. A corner was played into the Hertford box and flicked on, where it found Mitchell Linger free at the far post. He made no mistake in turning the ball into the Hertford net and levelling the scores. The visitors then had another corner, though this came to nothing. Andy Birnie soon had another shot but his effort was wide. In the third minute of injury time the home side won a free kick, but Jamie Abbott's effort was hit too long. An immediate break by the visitors then saw Ben Herod lob the ball over Lee Robinson, but it also cleared Robinson's crossbar. The referee then blew his whistle and sent the game into extra time.
Full Time Score: Hertford Town 2 St Margaretsbury 2
The first chance in the first period of extra time fell to the home side when they were awarded a free kick. Lee Roberts' cross was headed clear but the ball was played back in by Glenn Draper, though it fell into the grateful arms of James Sturgeon. Hertford then made their final substitution, bringing on Alex Scriven for Korsoveczki. Another Hertford chance from a Lee Roberts free kick was wasted following an infringement in the Bury box. The home side soon won a corner however, though Owen Beale's cross was eventually cleared to safety. On the stroke of half time in extra time the visitors made their second substitution, withdrawing Ben Wiper and sending on Paul Taylor.
Soon after the start of the second period of extra time, Bury's Martin Stickland was booked for a foul on Lee Roberts, though the home side could make nothing of the ensuing free kick. The visitors then made their final change, bringing on Scott McGuinness for Ben Herod. A Hertford corner soon followed, though Roberts' cross fell straight into the arms of Sturgeon. A few minutes later Bury's Andy Birnie tried a shot on the volley, though this was hit over Robinson's bar. Substitute Scott McGuinness then hit an effort wide for the visitors. As the end of extra time approached the visitors won a free kick and lee Robinson was forced to tip a tricky ball over his bar at the expense of a corner. The visitors' corner kick was disappointing and easily cleared, with the referee soon blowing for the end of extra time and signalling the start of a penalty shoot-out.
Score After Extra Time: Hertford Town 2 St Margaretsbury 2
The penalty shoot-out was conducted at the Stable End, where a number of supporters of both teams gathered to cheer on their goalkeepers and penalty-takers. First up was Hertford's Jamie Abbott, who made no mistake in burying the ball in the back of the net. Bury Captain John Barker then scored his penalty with similar ease. Next up Owen Beale's shot appeared to some near the clubhouse to have cannoned back off the right post, but in fact it had hit the stanchion at the back of the goal and put the home side 2-1 up. Bury substitute Scott McGuinness took his side's next kick but it was well saved by Robinson. Dave Hunt then scored his second penalty of the night for the home side, which was soon followed by Mitchell Linger also finding the back of the net for the second time for the visitors. The fourth Hertford penalty-taker was Captain Glenn Draper. Many in the crowd remembered the last time Draper was in this position and blasted his effort over the bar against Concord Rangers, and possibly feared the worst. There was no need to worry however as the skipper hit an excellent shot that never left the ground and went wide of Sturgeon into the back of the net. The fourth Bury penalty-taker was Ed Taylor. He hit his shot to Robinson's right but the Hertford number one was equal to his effort and pulled off a good diving save to put his side through to the semi-final and was immediately mobbed by his team-mates. The Blues now face a semi-final match against either Royston Town or Broxbourne Borough V&E.
Final Score: Hertford Town 2 St Margaretsbury 2 aet
Hertford Town won 4-2 on penalties