Blast from the past
Andrew Cornell looks back at Blues’ games on September 2nd
It’s probably best to gloss over last season’s FA Cup exit at Potters Bar on this date.
On this day in 2008 we visited local rivals St Albans City for a Conference South game following their relegation after one season in the Conference Premier.
Blues lost to two second half goals at St Albans. Roy Essandoh went close to securing a point, when at 1-0 down, the striker’s header was ruled out for offside with just two minutes remaining.
The result reflected the overall balance of play in a game that the home side dominated. Stortford’s defence was in top form to keep the Saints out until a somewhat controversial goal on 72 minutes. Sam Taylor appeared to be shoved off the ball by Saints’ sub Gary Cohen. but the ineffective linesman saw nothing wrong and Cohen’s cross was met by James Quilter to score from close range.
Blues had little luck with the officials throughout the game. Piers Wixon was clearly pushed over inside the penalty box in the first half in front of referee Forester, but the man in black amazingly signalled to play on. This came after an opening period of play that saw the home side go close to scoring on three occasions. but the best chance of the half fell to the Blues. On 27 minutes Jason Mason set up Michael Hyem inside the box. The midfielder unselfishly laid the ball back for Danny Harris who struck the ball well but not well enough to beat Paul Bastock in the Saints’ goal. Blues enjoyed their best period of play until half time as the score remained blank.
Harris spurned Blues’ next chance 12 minutes into the second half. Hyem played a neat ball through the centre that found Harris in space with Bostock to beat. This time though he tried to place his shot and Bastock collected comfortably.
City took control of the game again from the hour mark as Blues took a rearguard action led by Steve king at the heart of the defence. King broke up an excellent move involving Hassan Sulaiman and the impressive Jonathan Hunt. A minute later, Ben Bowditch was guilty of a shocking miss in front of goal and it looked as if Blues might survive to take a point.
Saints looked the more likely to score the second goal of the game, with King again in charge denying Hakim when close on goal, until Essandoh’s late introduction. His header from Dee Okojie’s cross, nestling in Bastock’s net, was ruled out for offside before Saints sealed the win in time added on. Hakim had skipped past Taylor into the box but was pulled down. The referee appeared to be letting play on, until his assistant flagged for a penalty that Lee Clarke converted.
We also played St Albans on this date in an FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round match at Clarence Park. The result was a 6-1 defeat but as World War 2 had broken out by the Monday we had more important things to worry about.
2017 Potters Bar Town 1 BSFC 0 – FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying
McCarthy, Casey, Tumwa, Hughes, M Ekpiteta, Robinson, C Ekpiteta, Richefond, Williams, Foxley, Maybank Subs: Akinyemi, Owusu
2008 St Albans City 2 BSFC 0 – Conference South
Eyre, Jones, Taylor, Hyem, Goodacre, King, Mason, Edwards, Wixon, Harris, Webster
Subs: Dean, Essandoh, Okojie Unused: Koko, Hasler
2003 Grays Athletic 3 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Desborough, Allman, Wiltshire, Rainford, Cooper, Barnett, Langer, Southam, Essandoh, Renner, McKeown Subs: Gwillim, Black Unused: Bajada, Hayes, Addai Scorer: Barnett
2000 Flackwell Heath 0 BSFC 2 – FA Cup Preliminary Round
Harman, Yeoman, Kimble, Sedgwick, Bowen, Hayes, Braham, Southam, John, Paul, Langer
Subs: Hercules, Williams, Gunn, Unused: Dennis Scorers: Sedgwick, John
1997 BSFC 0 Oxford City 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
King, Fox, Comerford, Walker, Barnaby, Greaves, Wardley, Sedgwick, Adekola, Cooper, Thomas Subs: Dean, Unused: Shuttlewood, Burns
1995 BSFC 1 Bromley 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
King, Wardley, Jordan, Claridge, Moore, Parratt, Hollamby, Walker, Braithwaite, Cooper, Parkyn Subs: Burns, Unused: Comerford, Paxton Scorer: Braithwaite
1989 Redbridge Forest 3 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Jackman, Harrigan, Hopkins, Tamblyn-Jones, Went, Hardwick, Ryan, Milbourne, Weddell, Young Subs: Dobson, Cowley Scorer: Ryan
1986 BSFC 3 Barking 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Wickenden, Templeton, Staunton, Hull, Cassidy, Nunn, Fergusson, Hardy, Weddell, Newbury Subs Unused: Birtles, Tomkins Scorers: Staunton, Nunn, Hardy
1985 Walthamstow Avenue 1 BSFC 3 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Wickenden, Knapman, Griffiths, Hull, Smith, Hopkins, Staunton, Hardy, Nunn, Newbury Sub: Tomkins Scorers: Griffiths, Hull, Hardy
1980 BSFC 3 Ware 0 – Isthmian League Division 1
Moore, Smith, Brown, Blackman, Cooper, Avery, Bradford, Knapman, Radford, Worrell, Clarke
Sub Unused: Sullivan Scorers: Avery, Radford, Worrell
1975 BSFC 1 Hendon 3 – Isthmian League Division 1
Kitson, Harris, Davis, Flack, Clarke, Mulkern, Leakey, Vickers, MacKenzie, Twigg, Gaine
Sub Unused: Brown Scorer: Mulkern
1972 BSFC 0 Oxford City 0 – Isthmian League
Moore, Davenport, Lawrence, Smith, Still, Hounsell, Leakey, Davidson, Bunker, Merrifield, Francis Sub Unused: Leakey
1968 BSFC 1 Harwich & Parkeston 0 – Athenian League Premier Division
Mollison, Haggar, Mitchell, Duggan, Gough, Hill, Gigg, Nisbet, Cheesewright, Chappell, Phillips
Sub Unused: Hammond Scorer: Cheesewright
1967 BSFC 4 Maidenhead United 0 – Athenian League Premier Division
Cherry, Durham, Atkinson, Duley, Neeves, Pettipher, Battram, Phillips, Nisbet, Gough, Dowler Sub: ???? Scorers: Phillips, Nisbet (2), Gough
1961 Aveley 3 BSFC 2 – Delphian League Cup 1st Round
Fox, Pope, Rolph, Maskell, Neeves, Wilson, Harkness, Thomas, Hollow, Horton, Francis
Scorers: Francis, Thomas
1959 BSFC 2 Ware 0 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round
D Cook, Rolph, Atkinson, P Cook, Newman, Wilson, Adamson, Yates, Phelan, Horton, Francis
Scorer: Phelan (2)
1953 Stevenage Town 2 BSFC 1 – Delphian League
?????, ?????, Hardy, ?????, ?????, ?????, ?????, ?????, Rolph, ?????, Williamson
Scorer: Rolph
1950 BSFC 2 Leyton 1 – FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Wardell, Wilkins, Hayes, Lambert, Hubbuck, Clancy, Whittaker, Yates, Brown MacLauglan, Beatty Scorers: Yates, Brown
1948 Cambridge Town 5 BSFC 3 – Spartan League Premier Division
Pitteway, T Brooks, Bradford, Lambert, F Brooks, Giles, Elliott, Yates, Jordan MacLauglan, Dutch Scorers: Yates, Dutch (2)
1939 St Albans City 6 BSFC 1 – FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Turnbull, G Clark, Hill, Polybank, Woods, White, B Clark, Lambert, Owen, Hanratty, Ward Scorer: Ward
1933 BSFC 3 Hoxton Manor 3 – Spartan League Division 1
Vasey, Johnson, Spring, Burt, Tabor, Little, Abslom, Harknett, Beard, Haldin, Underdown Scorers: Abslom, Beard, Underdown
1922 BSFC 4 Hitchin Blue Cross 1 – Herts County League
Boxall, Whiffen, Walker, Thurgood, Housden, Chapman, Brazier, Bavin, Wright, Freeborn, Punter Scorers: Bavin, Wright (2), Punter