Premier Division
Biggleswade United 0 Langford 1
Saturday, 18 March 2006
The season has ended honours even for these two local rivals following their fourth and final encounter of the season at Second Meadow on Saturday. An 81st minute goal from Langford's Rob Groves saw 17th placed Langford gain three very important League points from 7th placed United and the Forde Park club are now looking good for Premier Division football next season.
However, there can be no denying that the Second Meadow side enjoyed the majority of the play and until the 80th minute it looked like Langford had almost reached saturation point as their back line had soaked up so much pressure from the United front men who were having a serious off day in front of goal.
Jack Weeden will be the first to admit that he was probably the worst culprit and it was suggested that he might consider wearing his boots on alternative feet for the next match!
Back in the United outfield line up was Dean Bull and in the sixth minute Bully had the best chance of the half to give United the lead. Weeden slipped the ball through the Langford back men for Bully to go one on one but he took one too many touches having rounded the keeper allowing a Langford defender the chance to scramble the ball away.
A second chance fell to the Luton man ten minutes later when Mark Tyler lobbed the ball over a static Langford defence to the unmarked Bull but his chipped shot was fingertipped away by Langford number one, Adam Lawrence.
United's early flurry petered out midway through the first half giving Langford the chance to give United a few scary moments. But Nick Stillwell was putting in an excellent man of the match performance at centre half and United's new boy, Andrew North, stood firm making two excellent saves from Groves and his strike partner Wayne Goldsmith.
As the interval beckoned United again stepped up the pressure in search of a goal to take in at the break but the best they could offer was a superb strike from Tyler that crashed against the visitor's crossbar.
The opening minutes of the second period saw United pull out all the stops to try and turn the pressure in to goals. And in the 49th minute United skipper Gary Jackson let rip with a long range strike that Lawrence only just managed to get a hand to. Weeden also went for broke with two strikes after good work from Robbie O'Dell and Chris Hewitt.
The first of Weeden's misses came in the 53rd minute. Jinking his way through three defenders he had only Lawrence to beat but he curled the ball wide of the upright. Six minutes later which he threaded his way through the packed Langford defence but was unable to convert from close range.
United's frustration at not being able to convert their dominance into goals started to take its toll and Langford were allowed to take advantage. And had it not been for an outstanding last ditch tackle from United defender, Paul Ayling, then Goldsmith would have been allowed an easy strike at North.
As the final ten minutes approached the United faithful sensed that the day would not go to form and they were proved right in the 81st minute. A long clearance from deep in the Langford half found Joe Delaselle wide on the right flank and with the United defence at full stretch he sent over a perfect long field cross to Groves who took just one touch before volleying past North at the far post.
The United players were left stunned while their opponents justifiably made the most of the moment. The remaining ten saw United fire everything possible at the Forde Park contingent but despite looking battle weary Ken Davidson's side held out for the three points.
Biggleswade United: North, Parker, Scarisbrick, Stillwell, Ayling, Hewitt (Russell), Jackson, Bull (Thomas), Tyler, Weeden, O'Dell. Subs Not Used: Hutchison, Burton, Morris.
Langford; Lawrence, Revell, Banghard (Woodland) , Geraghty, Delasalle, Hulett (Bywater) , Goldsmith, Hazelwood (Luhman) , Saunders, Holmes, Groves.
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