Blast from the past
Andrew Cornell looks back at Blues’ games on April 16th
In 2013 on this date we met Worcester City in this ground in a Conference North game. Both sides were in the lower half of the table but almost safe from relegation, so little to play for but pride. However we were in a poor run of form at home and this proved to be a problem. It was a frustrating night for Blues players and spectators alike with the side seeming to lack confidence and rarely threaten the visitors’ goal.
After a slow start Worcester threatened first of all in the 5th minute with big striker Mike Symons
shooting on the turn and the ball going across the face of Carl Pentney’s goal. The Blues almost took the lead three minutes later as a fine move was rounded off with Harry Baker crossing from the right and Reece Prestedge stretching his left boot but not quite getting enough contact on the ball at the far post and it deflected away for a goal-kick.
Brian Woodall had a blast at goal from outside the box in the 16th minute but the effort was blocked by a defender whilst Prestedge with a shot held by keeper Matt Sargeant at the near post and Ricky Sappleton with a drive from long range went close. The visitors had also threatened in the first half-hour as Matt Breeze and Kieron Morris had shots that were respectively just wide and deflected into Pentney’s arms. City looked to be more in control of the midfield and more confident on the ball but five minutes before the break the Blues again nearly went ahead. Sappleton and Prestedge linked on the left flank before the Stortford skipper laid the ball inside to Billy Lobjoit whose 20 yard effort may have found the net at the far post but stopper Sargeant, diving full length to his left, turned it round the post for a corner so the teams went in at half time level at 0-0.
The visitors continued to have the edge immediately after the break but the key moments
of the game occurred around the hour. In the 59th minute City defender Tyler Weir appeared to bring down Baker on the right side of the box but referee Stephen Ross gave nothing and with the Blues’ attack continuing Johnny Herd finally fired in a 20 yard rising shot that keeper Sargeant seemed to turn inches over the bar. Instead of a corner, a goal-kick was awarded and In
City’s next attack, in the 62th minute, Ethan Moore was fouled on the edge of the box. The visitors best player on the park, Tom Thorley, proceeded then to dispatch the resultant free-kick round and over the defensive wall into the far top corner to make it 1-0 to Worcester.
The Blues only chance to equalise before the end came in the 69th minute when Prestedge and Woodall linked in an attack down the middle but Woodall’s 15 yard low shot was wide of Sargeant’s right upright. Stortford had the greater amount of possession before the end but their final ball into the box rarely worried the City defence. Adam Bailey-Dennis was pushed forward in the closing stages but Worcester almost added a second goal in stoppage time as Ethan Moore’s cross Into the middle from the left gave substitute Danny Williams a relatively simple chance to net but Pentney made a great blocking stop to divert the ball away for a corner.
More recently, in 2016 we beat Margate 4-1 with four goals from Elliott Buchanan!
2016 BSFC 4 Margate 1 – Conference South
Lovelock, Vanderhyde, Herd, Abdullahi, Lee, Allen, Moore, Church, Buchanan, Wilmott, Merrifield Subs: Miller, Ekim, Fortnam-Tomlinson Not Used: Suarez, Lawrence
Scorer: Buchanan (4)
2013 BSFC 0 Worcester City 1 – Conference North
Pentney, Sampayo, Herd, Bailey-Dennis, Francis, Prestedge, Baker, Johnson, Sappleton, Lobjoit, Woodall Subs: Webb, Elmes, Waller-Lassen Not Used: Abdullahi, Dodge
2011 Woking 2 BSFC 0 – Conference South
Eyre, Lettejallow, Anderson, Bowditch, Habu, Dean, Hahn, Rance, Gaisie, Ming, Bakare
Subs: Palmer, Morris Not Used: Mason, Dawson, Prestedge
2005 Basingstoke Town 2 BSFC 3 – Conference South
Young, Thanda, Gwillim, Parmenter, Riches, Okuonghae, Kyriacou, Cracknell, Morison, Hakim, B Forbes Subs: Jackman, Abraham, S Forbes Not Used: Gillman, Horne
Scorers: Parmenter, Morison, Hakim
2002 BSFC 2 Colchester United 2 – Friendly
2001 Braintree Town 1 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Division 1
Desborough, Risley, Kimble, Wolf, Fannon, Kyriacou, Hayes, Southam, John, Gunn, Braham Subs: Paul Not Used: Endersby, Langer Scorer: Paul
1996 Kingstonian 2 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
King, Wardley, Parkyn, Jordan, Shuttlewood, Parratt, Barnaby, Walker, Conroy, Cooper, Claridge
Subs Unused: Roberts, Forbes, Jackman Scorer: Claridge
1994 BSFC 1 Bognor Regis Town 0 – Isthmian League Division 1
King, Jordan, Claridge, Edmonds, Harrigan, Walker, Das, T Burns, Fortune-West, Comerford, Ingielewicz Subs: L Burns, Adamson Scorer: Fortune-West
1992 Sudbury Town 4 BSFC 1 – East Anglian Cup Semi-Final
Taylor, Boyce, Smith, Harrigan, Bedford, Petrou, Sedgwick, McInerney, Pritchard, Parnwell, Katsiounis Subs: Jackman, Murray Scorer: Petrou
1991 BSFC 1 Basingstoke Town 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Jackman, Risley, Harrigan, Went, Hopkins, Ryan, Bedford, Joseph, Parker, Miles Subs: Adebowale, Manderson Scorer: Went
1988 BSFC 1 Yeovil Town 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Nunn, Hopkins, Hull, McCayna, Hoddle, Barker, Weddell, Gayle, Wood, Sorrell
Subs Not Used: Cassidy, Saggers Scorer: McCayna
1985 BSFC 1 Windsor & Eton 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Wickenden, John Simmonds, Baker, Hull, Hopkins, Staunton, Marshall, Harper,
Joe Simmonds, Avery Sub: Cardines Scorer: Staunton
1983 Sutton United 1 BSFC 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Welsh, Levy, Brown, Lawrence, Elley, Hull, Avery, Brooks, Worrell, Robb, Sullivan
Sub: Lynch
1981 BSFC 3 Walton & Hersham 1 – Isthmian League Division 1
Moore, Blackman, Brown, Smith, Bradford, Avery, Sullivan, Knapman, Fox, Simmonds, Worrell
Sub Not Used: Clarke Scorers: Smith, Simmonds, Worrell
1979 Wokingham Town 0 BSFC 0 – Isthmian League Division 1
Carrick, Coakley, Carvill, Smith, Brame, Doyle, Ferry, Eason, Smith, Reading, Blackman
Sub Unused: Todd
1977 Dulwich Hamlet 5 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Division 1
Alcorn, Chattaway, Davis, Flack, Clarke, Massey, Bailey, Melvin, MacKenzie, Gough, Twigg
Sub: Tucker Scorer: Twigg
1969 Dagenham 1 BSFC 1 – Athenian League Premier Division
Cherry, Haggar, King, Hill, Gough, Nisbett, Duggan, Hammond, Battram, Chappell, Phillips
Sub Unused: ???? Scorer: Nisbett
1966 Erith & Belvedere 0 BSFC 4 – Athenian League Division 1
Stooks, Rolph, Atkinson, Pope, Neeves, Duley, Powell, C Duggan, Baker, Gough, P Duggan Scorers: Powell, P Duggan, Baker (2)
1965 Croydon Amateurs 2 BSFC 0 – Athenian League Division 2
Cherry, Rolph, Tucker, Gough, Neeves, Duley, Taylor, Baker, Haywood, Hussey, Francis
1955 BSFC 3 Cheshunt 1 – Delphian League
Sullivan, Duncan, Hardy, Lloyd, Carter, Hanley, Giles, Yates, Scott, Horton, Burridge
Scorers: Scott, Horton, Burridge
1938 BSFC 0 Lea Bridge Gas 1 – Spartan League Division 1
Turnbull, Day, Hill, Polybank, Ship, Brooks, Clark, Hanratty, Woods, Elliott, Herrington
1932 Hitchin Town Res 4 BSFC 1 – Spartan League Division 2 East
Vasey, Spring, Piper, Burt, Chapman, Lawrence, Little, Braithwaite, Badcock, Harknett, Mayes
Scorers: Badcock (4)
1921 BSFC 2 Harlow Town 0– East Herts League Division 1
Boxall, Smith, Walker, Thurgood, Witcher, Chapman, Clarke, Wright, Golder, Freeborn, Brazier Scorers: Witcher, Golder
