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Blast from the past

Andrew Cornell looks back on Blues’ games on September 21st

 

In 2013 we had an end of summer trip to the seaside to play Eastbourne Borough in a Conference South game on this date.

 

The tempo of the match was high throughout and both sides made bright starts forcing early corners. The first opening came after fifteen minutes after good work by Johnny Herd and George Sykes on the left led to Reece Prestedge cutting the ball back across a vacant six yard box but there was no one in a Stortford shirt to convert. Then two minutes later Nicky Symonds

and Matt Johnson were involved in a move up the middle and the latter switched the ball to the right where Sykes running into space saw his shot from just inside the box kept out by the feet of Borough keeper Craig Ross.

 

Joe Wright did well to tip over a deflected shot from danger man Simon Johnson at full stretch but an offside decision was given in any case. In the 28th minute a free-kick into the box from the left from Charlie Gorman left both Sean Francis, playing his 100th match for the Blues, and keeper Joe Wright injured on the ground. Both players carried on after attention but there

was another lengthy delay soon afterwards when Borough striker Darren Lok went to ground injured.

 

There was another near miss for Stortford in the 36th minute when skipper Reece Prestedge crossed from the left and George Sykes’ attempt at the near post was deflected wide. The Sussex side began to get the edge on proceedings in the period leading up to the break and in the first of five minutes of stoppage time added on they took the lead. Gary Hart centred deep from the left touch-line towards the far post and somehow Darren Lok, who seemed to be tightly marked by Callum McNaughton, managed to wrap his boot round the ball and send it across and wide of Joe Wright from 12 yards.

 

Just before the break an Ashley Miller shot from the edge of the box was held by keeper Ross.

 

On the restart Kyle Vassell pulled an attempt at goal from 18 yards wide of the near post and then in the 53rd minute after the same player had been fouled by Gorman, Reece Prestedge’s 25 yard free-kick resulted a good save from stopper Ross, diving low to his right. Prestedge was close again a little later when a volley from him cleared the bar.

 

The Blues were very much still in the match but then, in the 63rd minute, the hosts doubled their lead. Harry Baker, who had been on the field for five minutes after replacing the injured Ashley Miller, gave the ball away by slipping it inside to Borough’s Simon Johnson who made tracks for goal. Although Stortford had chances to repel the attack Johnson regained possession 20 yards out and floated his shot over Joe Wright and into the back of the net from a central position.

 

Gary Hart for the hosts was wide from the edge of the area whilst the Blues produced one or two promising moves that came to nothing. Then in the 72nd minute Stortford almost reduced the deficit as a move involving Baker and Prestedge ended with Kyle Vassell drilling a powerful angled low shot from the left that keeper Ross blocked away out of danger.

 

Cliff Akurang was moved up from the centre of defence to an attacking role but Stortford fell further behind in the 79th minute. The defence hesitated waiting for an offside decision that wasn ’ t forthcoming when Johnson spread the ball out to the left and substitute Elliott Levy ran on to net with a deflected shot into the far corner.

 

Following a corner on the right from Matt Johnson, Sean Francis was just off target with a volley but with the Blues pushing forward in search of a consolation goal the defence was exposed and Joe Wright had to make saves in quick succession from firstly Lok and then Johnson when the Borough players were in good positions to score.

 

There were four minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game and during that time both sides found the net. In the second minute of added time a deep cross from the right by Harry Baker was nodded on by Akurang out to the far side and Vassell drove the ball low past Ross into the opposite bottom corner of the net. However, less than a minute later Eastbourne notched their fourth goal of the afternoon as Johnson collected a header from Francis out of defence and

smashed it first time from 30 yards past Joe Wright’s despairing dive.

 

There was still time before the end for Reece Prestedge to have a far post header tipped away by Ross following a Kyle Vassell cross.

 

2013 Eastbourne Borough 4 BSFC 1 – Conference South

Wright, Miller, Herd, Akurang, Francis, McNaughton, Symons, Vassell, Prestedge, Sykes, Johnson Subs: Asante, Baker, Adams Unused: Cowler, Hamilton-Forbes Scorer: Vassell

 

2004 BSFC 4 Welling United 2 – Conference South

Elliott, Allman, Gwillim, Rainford, Riches, Gillman, Parmenter, Martin, Hakim, Jackman, Graham Subs: Knight, Ryan Unused: Heselton, Fenton, Young

Scorers: Hakim, Rainford, Riches, Martin

 

2002 Grays Athletic 1 BSFC 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division

Desborough, Denny, Riches, Southam, Hannigan, Wolf, Hyatt, Langer, John, Paul, Keeling

Subs: Keepence, Allison, Hayes Unused: Taylor, Hayward

 

1999 Wingate & Finchley 3 BSFC 2 – FA Cup 2nd Round Qualifying Replay

Day, Fannon, Risley, Paxton, Comerford, Braham, Benstock, Hayes, Willock, Witney, Flatts Subs: Quinton, Winger, Quinn Unused: Oladeji, Tillotson Scorer: Hayes, Paxton

 

1996 Hendon 2 BSFC 1– Isthmian League Premier Division

King, Claridge, Parkyn, Jordan, Shuttlewood, Bensted, Walker, Ridout, Henry, Cooper, Bowers Subs: Hollamby, Hooker, Riley Scorer: Cooper

 

1993 Banstead Athletic 0 BSFC 6– Isthmian League Cup 1st Round

King, Jordan, Harrigan, Edmonds, Hopkins, Walker, Das, Scott, Fortune-West, Burns, Ingielewicz Subs: White Unused: Sedgwick

Scorers: Edmonds, Das, Fortune-West, Burns, Ingielewicz

 

1991 Hendon 0 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division

Taylor, Bedford, Forey, Petrou, Harrigan, Went, Sailsman, Milbourne, Stewart, Lawford, Fearey Subs Unused: Smith, Burns Scorer: Petrou

 

1988 Kingstonian 3 BSFC 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division

Taylor, Boyce, Sherwood, Moore, Hopkins, Hoddle, Gayle, Weddell, English, Cowley, Ryan Sub: Zacchau, Milbourne Scorers: Gayle, English

 

1987 Croydon 1 BSFC 2 – Isthmian League Cup 1st Round

Taylor, Hopkins, Goodchild, Smith, McCayna, Cassidy, Weddell, Nunn, Gayle, Zacchau, Hoddle Subs Unused: Wood, Barker Scorer: Gayle

 

1985 BSFC 3 Wokingham Town 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division

Carrick, Wickenden, Tomkins, Hopkins, Hull, Knapman, Staunton, Griffiths, Hardy, Flynn, Newbury Sub: Nunn Scorers: Hardy (2), Newbury

 

1976 BSFC 0 Ilford 1 – Isthmian League Division 1

Kitson, Tucker, Davis, Flack, Clarke, Gough, Leakey, MacKenzie, Dillsworth, Twigg, Gaine Sub Unused: Conroy

 

1974 BSFC 3 Sutton United 0 – Isthmian League Division 1

Moore, Martin, Coombes, Gibson, Still, Lawrence, Leakey, Dear, Bass, Smith, Giggle

Sub Unused: Scott Scorers: Gibson, Still, Bass

 

1971 St Albans City 1 BSFC 4 – Isthmian League

Cherry, Cooper, Sedgley, Lawrence, Still, Sharkey, Mitchell, Merrifield, Devaux, Duggan, Whyte Sub: Lillington Scorers: Merrifield, Duggan, Whyte

 

1968 BSFC 6 Wolverton Town & BR 1 – FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying

Mollison, Haggar, Mitchell, Revill, Gough, Hill, Duggan, Nisbet, Gigg, Chappell, Phillips

Sub Unused: Hammond Scorers:  Duggan (2), Nisbet, Gigg, Chappell, Phillips

 

1963 Windsor & Eton 1 BSFC 0 – Athenian League Division 2

Cherry, Yell, Rolph, Pope, Neeves, Rankin, Atkinson, Duley, Gough, Higgs, Francis

 

1957 Berkhamsted Town 1 BSFC 2 – Delphian League

Fox, Lloyd, G Atkinson, Sullivan, Carter, Beale, D Atkinson, Wilson, Horton, Williams, Francis Scorers: D Atkinson, Horton

 

1946 BSFC 2 Chipperfield 3 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

Sullivan, Johnson, Day, Dougan, Search, Davis, Bayford, Lambert, Bentley, Giles, Kimber Scorers: Giles, og

 

1940 BSFC 5 RAF XI 2 – Friendly

 

1935 BSFC 3 Apsley 3 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

Knight, Barker, Chapman, Polybank, Peck, Wood, Riches, Middleton, Jarvis, Hanratty, Morris Scorers: Jarvis, Wood, Hanratty

 

1929 BSFC 1 Chesham United 4 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

Harryman, Chapman, Childs, West, Mayes, Bass, Bedwell, Haywood, Elliott, Robinson, Bennett Scorer: Robinson