Haringey Borough 2-1 BSFC: MATCH REPORT

Haringey Borough 2-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report 8/12/20

 

Bishop’s Stortford’s return to competitive action after the second coronavirus lockdown was short-lived as the Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat at Haringey Borough in the FA Trophy First Round. The two league meetings between the sides last season ended with the same score-line, with the winning goals in the three matches coming in the 92nd, 89th and 93th minutes respectively. Archie Jones had given the Blues the lead, before Jamie O’Donoghue equalised and Anthony McDonald struck the winner.

 

As you might expect with the first competitive match for both sides in over a month, the start was cagey, with both sides happy to pass around, not driving forward with much intent in the early stages. The first real chance of the match came courtesy of a defensive error, with Sam Mvemba’s pass to Jack Giddens lacking enough power, Roman Michael-Percil intercepted and rounded the keeper, but fired wide from a tight angle. Jonathan Miles rushed out of his goal to head the ball away from danger, but it landed into the path of Ben Marlow who chipped the goalkeeper and bounced off the post and away, with Haringey able to clear. Ex-Blue Claudiu Vilcu headed over the bar from a right wing corner, before the Blues attack were appealing for a handball from Jack Thomas’ cross, with the defender seemingly using an arm instead of his chest to nudge the ball into Miles’ arms. Another long range effort from Marlow, this one a powerful effort, forced a save from Miles, but he could only parry it into the path of Jones who tapped home on the stroke of half-time.

 

HT 0-1

 

A long range effort from Christos Djamas went high of Giddens’ cross bar, before O’Donoghue nodded home when Mark Haines failed to clear a dangerous cross from the right. Having equalised, the hosts took the initiative and dominated the closing stages of the match, with George Aresti forcing Giddens into a save and Roman Michael-Percil firing wide from a tight angle. In an attempt to swing the momentum back in the Blues’ favour, Steve Smith went with two up front, bringing on Tom Richardson  to partner with Frankie Merrifield, they linked up as Richardson crossed from the right but Merrifield’s header was straight at Miles. Substitute Louie Johnson curled an effort over the bar from Marlow’s lay off, he had plenty of time but his first time shot never troubled Miles. In the third minute of injury time, McDonald plucked the ball out of the air with a brilliant first touch, and with the defence thinking he was offside, he had all the time in the world to set himself and find the bottom corner to seal the win.

 

FT 2-1

 

TEAMS

Haringey Borough XI

1 Jonathan Miles

2 Tosin Olufemi

3 Michael O’Donoghue

4 Rakim Richards

5 Claudiu Vilcu

7 Roman Michael-Percil (Mitchell 90+4’)

8 George Aresti (Yellow card 55’)

9 Jamie O’Donoghue (Goal 60’) (McLeod 63’)

10 Christos Djamas

11 Bobson Bawling

16 Sami Bessadi (McDonald 80’)

Subs

6 Laste Dombaxe

12 Meki McLeod

13 Artur Leblond

14 Anthony McDonald (Goal 90+3’)

15 Scott Mitchell

18 Daniel Akindayini

 

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Jack Giddens

3 Sam Mvemba

4 Jack Thomas

5 Sam Robbins

6 Ryan Henshaw (c)

7 Archie Jones (Goal 44’) (Richardson 69’)

8 Ben Marlow

10 Frankie Merrifield

11 Aaron Greene (Johnson 80’)

15 Darren Foxley

17 Mark Haines

Subs

2 Michael Mullings

9 Tom Richardson

12 Joe Gardner

19 Louie Johnson

20 Ben Smith

 

Attendance 192

By Hamish Arnold