To Woodside Park, home of Bishops Stortford on a foul night. Wind, rain and roadworks everywhere. Champagne football is unlikely to be on the agenda. This is a modern ground, 5 or 6 years old with small clubhouse bar but huge banqueting suite and facilities. It is to be sold to Stanstead Airport and The Blues are to move again. The tea-bar ladies were in high form, the best welcome in the League so far.
Stortford were promoted from the first division last season and they are struggling to find form this term. They are just above the relegation zone with 15 points, 3 wins and 6 draws from their 14 outings. Among their ranks are former Saints Freddie Hyatt, Jimmy Sugrue and Al-James Hannigan.
For tonight, The Dynamic Duo selected Roberts D. in goal, 4 at the back: Moran, Townley, Campbell and Naylor; 4 in the middle: Keen, Challinor, Castle and Smith; and up front: De Souza and Browne. On the bench: Hollenbach, Oakes, Mackail-Smith, Evans and Wilmot. In the stand: Gould and the injured Brown, Crawshaw and Martin as well as former City Legend Steve Clark, as a spectator rather than looking for a game. Gary Sippetts is on loan at Berkhamsted.
The first half was played at the proverbial 90 miles per hour. Neither side were able to string more than 2 passes together and I can't recall either keeper being required to make a save. If I owned a reporters notebook, this page would be blank. H.T. 0-0.
Whether the half-time tea or the blast from The Duo, City were a different side in the second half. They seemed to start with a purpose, began to keep possession, and looked threatening. After about 10 minutes, City were won a corner on the left. (Someone in the bar later suggested that this was Saints' first corner of the game but I don't do that stats stuff.) It was an un-characteristically poor strike by Smith, spinning high into the wind and floating down to the keeper who, with no-one within 5 yards of him, decided to punch the ball clear. That was a poor strike, too, finding Browne on the edge of the box who volleyed smartly home. 0-1.
Oakes came for Castle. Saints dominated the next 20 minutes or so and were the more likely to add to the scoreboard. It came when a clever headed ball from De Souza into space on the edge of the box was well read by Browne who outpaced his marker and beat the keeper from a tight angle. 0-2. City shut up shop, restricting the home side to long range speculative efforts, none of which troubled Roberts. F.T. 0-2.
The Duo will be delighted with the first League win for four games. The weather conditions were dreadful but City did the job in the second half. Stortford were a very disappointing side. Hyatt alone showed his class but, in fairnes, they were hampered by an injury to star striker Vinnie John early in the game. City stay on top of the League, and of the chasing pack, Aldershot won, Kingstonian drew and Billericay lost.
The crowd was 383 even though there were about 2000 cars in the car park. Perhaps 150 Travelling City Faithful. MotM? Browne for his two goals I suppose, but for me? Naylor or Challinor.
Entertainment 6/10. Technical Merit 6/10. Atmosphere 6/10. Referee 7/10.
Match report by Awayday |