Premier Division
Broxbourne Borough V&E 2 Hillingdon Borough 3
Saturday, 12 November 2005
On the night that England scored a winner in the final seconds, Hillingdon had their own 'Michael Owen' to thank in Blaise O'BRIEN, as his final hat-trick goal sealed all 3 points and consolidated their rightful place at the top of the Division.
Having dictated the play for the first 50minutes and leaving the Home Team in their wake, it was amazing that Hillingdon would have to rely on such a last-gasp winner; but yet again Hillingdon did not kill teams off, with chance after chance going begging.
From the game's kick-off, Hillingdon totally dominated proceedings; always quicker to the ball, accurate snappy passing and more importantly, hitting the front players early and supporting the same.
A succession of chances and half chances were creatively and regularly set-up, however the same amount were frustratingly fluffed. Thankfully for the visiting team, Blaise O'BRIEN' had brought along his shooting boots and when he was given an opening in the 29th minute, his low 10yard shot hit the back of the net - to the joy and relief of the Boro Faithful.
This goal most definitely should have been added too before half time, but Hillingdon had to wait for the second period to do so. When it came, it was a well worked goal. Dave LAWRENCE ran at the Broxbourne defences and when they committed toward him, he laid a precise pass in 'the channel' to O'BRIEN; his right footed shot left the keeper with absolutely no chance. It seemed Hillingdon would now go on and win by the proverbial 'cricket score' but how wrong could we be!
The home team made a double substitution and this action appeared to lift the home team. In addition, Hillingdon did their 'normal' thing and now sat back and stopped doing all the good work that had put them in such a commanding position. Broxbourne now pushed forward and it was they that found the spaces and passes. Within 3 minutes of going further behind Broxbourne came back into the tie when, after a few seconds of head tennis in the Hillingdon penalty area, the ball broke to an unmarked Robert TUNGATT who smashed to the ball home.
Gaps now appeared in Hillingdon's defences; the Home team plugged away but were unable to create much in the way of goal threatening action. Eventually, the inevitable happened ? in a similar way to their first goal, a loose ball crossed in was not dealt with by a static Hillingdon defence. The same player TUNGATT yet again found the ball at his feet shot home, from close range.
So, with this 83 minutes goal Broxbourne had clawed their way back into a tie that they should have been eliminated from. Credit to the Home team for this but a final twist was yet to come.
Substitute for Hillingdon, Jamie BUSBY, made an immediate impression with a couple of darting runs. The final of these found him bursting through the midfield; his pin-point pass, which was laid into the path of O'BRIEN, was a delight. O'BRIEN still had work to do, but dummied the keeper and coolly clipped the ball over the diving Goalie and into the net for his and Boro's third.
Boro Team; Ben HARRIS, Adrian O'GRADY, Ryan FENTON, Chris PHILLIPS, Joe LYONS, Daryl CRAFT [Jamie BUSBY], Dave LAWRENCE, Chris. HIBBS, Danny TILBURY, Blaise O'BRIEN, Ryan WHARTON
Goal-scorers Boro; O'BRIEN 29th , 50th & 89th
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