Blast from the past
Andrew Cornell looks back at Blues’ games on September 4th
There has been a mixture of league games and early FA Cup rounds on this day over the years. A recent game was at home to Farnborough in 2010. This was a very disappointing day for a Blues team who started well above Farnborough in the early season league table. Right from the start Farnborough looked stronger faster and hungrier than Stortford and took the lead after only 9 minutes through Bubb who beat Eyre from close range. The visitors could have doubled their lead as Blues couldn’t manage to pass to each other but the home team came back into the game mid way through the first half with Mason and Jackman having good chances within a minute. This proved to be a false dawn however as just before half time Farnborough scored twice on the break through Binns and then Ibe to go in 3-0 up.
After Smith scored to make it 4-0 in the 49th minute the second half was an exercise in damage limitation for Blues and Reece Prestedge got them a consolation goal from the penalty spot in the 90th minutes to round off a sobering day for BSFC.
In 2004 on this day we got a taste of what life in Conference South would be like when we had our longest ever trip at the time for a league game – to Weymouth – and came up against the hugely experienced player manager Steve Claridge. Weymouth were at that time on the way up and had full time professional players. However it was Stortford who shrugged off the long journey and took the lead after just 5 minutes at the Wessex Stadium. A corner by Alex Martin was flicked on by Rainford and headed goalwards by Hakim. It was blocked on the line but the ball ran free to Langer who made no mistake from 6 yards. This stung Weymouth into action and Bound, Claridge and Barlow all had chances in quick succession. Blues made sure it was not all one way traffic though with both Langer and Graham shooting wide. It seemed as though Stortford would have a valuable half time lead until in the 43rd minute Barlow laid the ball back to Claridge who calmly slotted the ball past Elliott.
Blues started the second half well and twice could have retaken the lead. First Langer set up Martin, whose shot was blocked and spun over the bar. Then Langer received a good ball from Howell but couldn’t take advantage. As the game wore on Weymouth’s superior fitness began to tell and they had more possession but Blues held out until the last 20 minutes. A cross from the right found Claridge whose turn and shot was too classy for Stortford as he again beat Elliott. Even then Blues fought back and Jackman had a chance which he turned into the side netting. In the 81st minute Elliott conceded a penalty which Claridge took for his hat trick to finally wrap up the points for Weymouth. There was still time for a late consolation goal for Jackman but in the end, despite a good performance Stortford were deservedly beaten.
Among the other results on this day we have played Stevenage Town, a forerunner of the current Stevenage club, twice in FA Cup ties. In 1965 we were held to a 1-1 draw at Rhodes Avenue after taking the lead while earlier, in 1937, we managed a 2-1 win at Stevenage.
2012 BSFC 4 Solihull Moors 1 – Conference North
Chambers, Sinclair-Furlong, Herd, Abdullahi, Anderson, Francis, Johnson, Cawley, Sappleton, Marriott, Prestedge Subs: Spence, Obaze, Brayley Unused: Waller-Lassen, Redgrave
Scorers: Sinclair-Furlong, Cawley, Sappleton, Marriott
2010 BSFC 1 Farnborough 4 – Conference South
Eyre, Abberley, Palmer, Shulton, Duncan, Angus, Ming, Prestedge, Araba, Jackman, Mason Subs: Judge, Daly, Lettejallow Unused: Simpson, Abdullahi Scorer: Prestedge
2004 Weymouth 3 BSFC 2 – Conference South
Elliott, Allman, Gwillim, Rainford, Fenton, Gillman, Howell, Martin, Hakim, Langer, Graham Subs: Forbes, Jackman, Parmenter Unused: Blackwell, Young Scorers: Langer, Jackman
2001 BSFC 0 Northwood Town 1 – FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay
Desborough, Risley, Riches, Taylor, Gridelet, Wolf, Hercules, Fannon, John, Paul, Braham
Subs: Gentle, Hayes Not Used: Kyriacou, Moody, Collier
1999 BSFC 4 Hemel Hempstead Town 2 – FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying Replay
White, Fannon, Baillie, Paxton, Quinn, Comerford, Benstock, Hayes, Oladeji, Quinton, Harding Subs: Willock, Braham, Winger Not Used: Swaile, Harman Scorers: Paxton, Hayes, Harding, Willock
1993 Worthing 0 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Division 1
King, Jordan, Harrigan, Edmonds, Hopkins, Walker, Das, T Burns, Fortune-West, L Burns, Ingielewicz Subs Unused: Scott, White Scorer: Fortune-West
1984 Billericay Town 1 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Welsh, Wickenden, Davey, Avery, Hull, Smith, Luque, Simmonds, Cardines, Mercer, Harris Sub: Hopkins Scorer: Mercer
1982 Slough Town 2 BSFC 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Welsh, Wickenden, Brown, Smith, Elley, Brooks, Prosser, Hull, Worrell, Simmonds, Sullivan Sub: Bradford
1976 Woking 1 BSFC 2 – Isthmian League Division 1
Kitson, Tucker, Gough, Flack, Clarke, Smith, Leakey, Conroy, Dillsworth, Twigg, Gaine
Sub: MacKenzie Scorers: Twigg, MacKenzie
1973 BSFC 5 Ilford 0 – Isthmian League Division 1
Moore, Scott, Lawrence, Payne, Still, Tone, Leakey, Dear, Bass, Greene, Brooks
Sub Not Used: Davenport Scorer: Still, Leakey, Dear (2), Greene
1971 Oxford City 0 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League
Partridge, Cooper, Sedgeley, Merrifield, Still, Sharkey, Lawrence, Duggan. Devaux, Smith, Dye Sub: Mitchell Scorer: Devaux
1965 BSFC 1 Stevenage Town 1 – FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying
Cherry, Rolph, Atkinson, Gough, Neeves, Duley, Taylor. Duggan, Baker, Saggers, Francis
Sub: ??? Scorer: Neeves
1954 BSFC 6 Leatherhead 1 – Delphian League
S Sullivan, Duncan, Hardy, Lloyd, Carter, Hanley, Holmes, Yates, Baird, Sullivan, Giles
Scorers: Baird (3), Yates (3)
1948 Harlow Town 1 BSFC 2 – FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Cracknell, Bradford, Brooks, Lambert, Jordan, Giles, Murphy, Yates, Page, Verimiglio, Dutch Scorers: Yates, Page (2), Dutch
1937 Stevenage Town 1 BSFC 2 – FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying
Parker, Day, Brooks, Polybank, Ship, Gardener, Clark, Braithwaite, Haylock, Frost, Woods Scorers: Haylock, Frost
