Premier Division
Potters Bar Town 2 London Colney 1
Saturday, 17 April 2004
The final home league game of the season saw a local derby against London Colney and a good crowd enjoyed a warm sunny afternoon but were reminded that it was still spring with a firm cool wind in the background.
The dry weather saw a bumpy patchy pitch which would make it difficult to play a passing game on the ground. These local derbies are always a tight tense affair and today would be no different.
The visitors could not improve on their seventh position in the league table and could not be over taken and with one eye on their Challenge Trophy Final against Brook House on Tuesday evening at Beaconsfield choose to rest a number of regulars from their line up for this match.
The home side were still without the injured Rudi Hall but Phil Turner and Kevin Hyde returned to lead the attack with Andy Martin playing in midfield.
The home side started well and took the game to the visitors keen to notch another three points in their quest for a top three position.
The home side took the lead on seven minutes with an excellent goal from Kieron Woodward who picked up the ball went past two players, held of a tackle to strike a firm effort in of a post for the opening goal.
Andy Martin then went close with a firm shot from the edge of the box that the keeper pushed onto the top the crossbar and off for a corner.
However the visitors struck back on twenty minutes when Martin Farrow turned and shot from the right of the box across the goal to bring the scores level.
Conditions were not easy and with neither side prepared to give ground it was often a stalemate with a lot of niggling fouls interrupting the flow of the game. Chances were few and far between and half time arrived all square.
The second half got scrappier as the ball spent more time in the air than on the ground as the final ball was not finding its intended man and the home forward line were constantly being caught offside.
A foul on Andy Martin just outside the box in a central position saw the defence and keeper take their positions. Neil Jordan strolled up and hit a low shot directly in to the right hand corner without movement from the visitors confirming that they had got their geometry wrong and the home side had re-taken the lead on sixty-seven minutes.
A corner saw the visitors keeper scramble to make a save with his legs and then Kevin Hyde hit a firm free kick that the keeper pushed over the bar fro a corner.
The visitors tried to put some pressure on in the final minutes but the home defence held firm and a game of few opportunities finished with The Town edging a two-one win.
With St. Margaretsbury losing at Beaconsfield to give Beaconsfield SYCOB the title, Brook House won to secure second spot but the race for third place is still open although St. Margaretsbury have a three point advantage and only goal difference keeps The Town above Harefield United.
The Town go to Harefield next week looking to do a league double over a team that have had a 100% record in the cup games between the two sides this season.
Paul Surridge Assistant Manager commented:
It was nice to win today, we are not playing at our best and probably havent been for a few games now but we are still trying to finish as high as we can in the league and get as many point s as possible.
We certainly want to finish in the top four just in case that has an effect in the non league restructuring due this summer.
We are struggling with our form but a win is a win.
The first goal was an absolutely tremendous effort from Kieron Woodard one of the best goals we have seen this season for an individual effort.
Overall we deserved to win we were the better side and we wanted to try to play football in what was a bruising encounter.
Scorers: Kieron Woodward and Neil Jordan
Team: Robert Abrahams, Michael Sharman, Dave Blower, Jeff Cross, James Dickie, Paul Wackett, Kieron Woodward, Neil Jordan, Phil Turner (Danny Ward), Kevin Hyde, Andy Martin
|
|