Blast from the past
Andrew Cornell looks back at Blues’ games on April 17th
In 2014 we won the Herts Charity Cup on this date beating Hitchin Town on penalties but our last league game on this dated was away to Eastleigh in 2010. This was our penultimate game of the season and neither team had much to play for, we were 17th in the table while Eastleigh were 10th and only a remote chance of relegation for Blues.
On a bright and sunny afternoon in Hampshire the home team gave debuts to a couple of youngters, while Mark Simpson was able to recall Duane Jackman as a lone striker.
The home side’s leading goalscorer, Richard Gillespie, should have opened his account on 6 minutes. A neat through ball played by Taggart was collected by Gillespie, but his shot was straight at Nicky Morgan in the Blues’ goal.
Taggart himself was thwarted by Morgan on the quarter hour mark with a fine low save. Blues’ best chance in the opening exhanges came from a corner. Lynvall Duncan was afforded a free header at the back post, but he directed the ball narrowly wide of the Eastleigh goal.
A second chance for the visitors proved to be their best of the half. Ritchie Jones, fresh from a goal at Letchworth in midweek, came close to scoring another with a superb shot that just shaded the top left hand corner of Toomer’s goal.
Eastleigh’s players appealed for a penalty when Duncan and Gillespie collided in the box, but to no avail, but a goal soon followed. Alex Easton chipped Morgan only to see the ball cleared off the line. But Sam Butler was first to the ball to followup and score his fourth goal of the season to give Eastleigh the lead at halftime.
The second half saw the home side start strongly. Sam Butler’s free kick seemed destined for the far corner until Morgan dived well across his goal to push the ball on to the post and out to safety. Eastleigh’s keeper was forced into his first save of the match when diving to hold onto Reece Prestedge’s flicked shot on 54 minutes.
Eastleigh thought they had doubled their lead just past the hour. Taggart and Easton combined well to set up Riviere to fire home, but an offside flag denied the goal. The same man forced a good save from Morgan, but the imposing keeper pulled off a great reaction save to tip the ball round the post and out for a corner.
There was a sense that perhaps the home side had missed their chance to put the result beyond doubt, and Stortford began to edge into the game. Duane Jackman was denied on 74 minutes. Set up by Charlie Simpson’s cross, the striker shot wide when under pressure on 74 minutes. At the other end, Gillespie missed a golden opportunity, heading Taggart’s cross wide when it seemed easier to score.
Riviere shot straight at Morgan before Danny Morgan’s free header should have equalized the score. But the Stortford substitute made no mistake on 86 minutes when poking the ball through the legs of the oncoming Toomer and into the Eastleigh goal.
Gillespie missed two half chances to regain the lead in the closing minutes before the final whistle confirmed Blues’ place in Blue Square South.
2017 Wealdstone 5 BSFC 0 – Conference South
Walton, Rodgers, Rogers, Bray, Adebowale, Everitt, Taiwo, Hickford, Ford, Kouassi, Richefond Sub: Ronto
2014 BSFC 2 Hitchin Town 2 – Herts Charity Cup Final
Wright, Miller, Brown, Allen, McNaughton, Richens, Johnson, Church, Woodall,
Akurang, Costa Subs: Fagbohun, Hall, Baker Not Used: Milbourne, Cowler
Scorers: Woodall, Hall
2010 Eastleigh 1 BSFC 1 – Conference South
N Morgan, R Jones, M Jones, Chick, Duncan, Angus, Hahn, Shulton, Prestedge,
Jackman, Simpson Subs: D Morgan, Llewellyn, Docker Not Used: Abdullahi, Sellears
Scorer: D Morgan
2006 BSFC 4 Eastleigh 1 – Conference South
Young, M Jones, Gwillim, Rainford, Dolman, Gillman, Ward, Forbes, Morgan, Morison, Martin Subs: Essandoh, Evans, Mitchell Not Used: Thanda, Hussey
Scorers: Rainford, Morison (2), Evans
2004 BSFC 1 Grays Athletic 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Desborough, Allman, Gwillim, Rainford, Cooper, Barnett, Howell, Southam, Kyriacou, Bunn, Martin Subs: Wiltshire, Renner Not Used: Haniff, Tillotson, Hayes Scorer: Bunn
1999 BSFC 1 Walton & Hersham 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division – at Hitchin
King, Woolley, Williams, Benstock, Snowden, Fannon, Braham, Winger, Cooksey, Hayes, Comerford Subs: Willock, Blake, Baillie Scorer: Winger
1995 BSFC 1 Hitchin Town 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Mallett, Jackman, Edmonds, Claridge, Moore, Parratt, Lee, Cooper, Hollamby, Burns, Walker Subs Not Used: Comerford. Fenton, King Scorer: Claridge
1993 Hitchin Town 2 BSFC 3 – Isthmian League Division 1
King, Jordan, Claridge, Edmonds, Hopkins, T Burns, Das, Comerford, Walker, L Burns, Ingielewicz Subs: Baxter Not Used: Whyte Scorers: L Burns (2), Das
1986 Tootiing & Mitcham United 1 BSFC 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Coe, Wickenden, Goodchild, Tomkins, Hull, Bright, Fletcher, Newbury, Hardy, Nicholas, Flynn, Sub: Robinson Scorer: Hardy (2)
1984 BSFC 0 Hayes 3 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Welsh, White, Smith, Hull, Elley, Luque, Avery, Hopkins, Cardines, Brooks, Mercer
Sub: ??????
1982 Leatherhead 1 BSFC 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Moore, Brame, Brown, Smith, Bradford, Avery, Blackman, Knapman, Lynch, Simmonds, Sullivan Sub: Worrell Scorers: Lynch, Simmonds
1976 BSFC 2 Oxford City 0 – Isthmian League Division 1
Kitson, Harris, Davis, Flack, Clarke, Mulkern, Leakey, Watson, MacKenzie, Twigg, Gaine
Sub: Brown Scorers: Clarke, MacKenzie
1973 BSFC 0 Dulwich Hamlet 3 – Isthmian League
Wiseman, Davenport, Coombes, Scott, Still, Lawrence, Mitchell, Francis, Dear, Smith, Bunker
Sub: ??????
1971 BSFC 2 Maidenhead United 0 – Athenian League Premier Division
Cherry, Lawrence, T King, Pannell, Neeves, Sharkey, Whyte, Duffett,
Chappell, Devaux, S King Sub Not Used: Argent Scorers: Chappell, S King
1965 Wingate 0 BSFC 2 – Athenian League Division 2
Cherry, Rolph, Atkinson, Gough, Neeves, Duley, Wacey, Baker, Haywood, Smith, Francis
Scorer: Haywood (2)
1954 BSFC 4 Ealing Association 2 – Friendly
1948 BSFC 2 Aylesbury United 3 – Spartan League Premier Division
Sullivan, Jordan, Cook, Elliott, Hubbuck, Giles, Stewart, Yates, Verimiglio, Shakespeare, Page Scorers: Yates, Verimiglio
1937 Marlow 7 BSFC 2 – Spartan League Division 1
Turnbull, Springham, Day, Polybank, Ship, Woods, Clark, Haylock, Mytton, Hanratty, Haynes Scorers: Haylock, Haynes
1933 BSFC 2 Waterlows (Dunstable) 3 – Spartan League Division 1
Vasey, Spring, Chapman, Peck, Lawrence, Little, Badcock, Braithwaite, Johnson, Harknett, Underdown Scorer: Johnson (2)
1926 BSFC 0 London City Police 2 – Friendly
1922 BSFC 2 Baldock Town 0 – Herts County League
Boxall, Smith, Walker, ??????, ??????, Brazier, Clarke, Wright, ??????, Freeborn, Punter Scorers: Wright, ??????
1920 Hertford Town 2 BSFC 4 – East Herts League Division1
Boxall, Mills, Smith, Thurgood, Flux, Newey, Clarke, Wright, Golder, Walker, Brazier
Scorers: Wright, Golder (2),Walker