Blast from the past
A look back at Blues’ games on August 13th
This date is most significant for our first ever game in Conference North when we hosted Colwyn Bay in 2011. The game resulted in a 2-0 defeat.
In 2005 we started the season with a home match against Eastbourne Borough, a repeat of the previous season’s opener. This was the debut game for a Blues favourite – Jack Midson, as well as Danny Gay and Lee Manning. Eastbourne game with a game plan of soaking up the home side’s attacks and catching them on the break which made it a frustrating afternoon for Blues fans. Stortford had a couple of good chances early on in a goalmouth scramble. Gwillim crossed from the left and the ball found its way to Jackman whose shot was blocked on the line. It came out to Martin who also had a shot blocked. Soon after Eastbourne did score on a break. As a Stortford attack broke down the clearance found Odubade who was too fast for the home defence and scored coolly past the advancing Gay. Just before half time Blues came close to equalising when Martin’s corner was headed goalwards by Rainford but saved well by Hook in the Eastbourne goal.
The second half followed a predictable pattern as the home team had most of the possession but no penetration while the visitors were happy to sit back and do enough to protect their lead. If anything Eastbourne looked more likely to score as they wasted a penalty following a bad tackle by Lewis. With 20 minutes left Gillman was sent off for an off the ball incident and the 10 men could not accomplish what had been too much for 11. Right at the death Odubade nearly doubled his and his team’s tally but the game ended 0-1.
A decade earlier we started our league campaign with a home match against Marlow following promotion from Isthmian League Division 1. With Claridge and Das both injured and Gavin King on holiday Blues were not starting with their strongest possible team but the missing players were not needed. Marlow started well though and put the home team under a lot of pressure with Lay and Buzaglo looking lively. However in the 10th minute Fortune-West was put clear by Nunn, only to shoot straight at the keeper. Midway through the half Jackman’s great clearance found Fortune-West again and this time he took the ball round the keeper before scoring from an angle. Marlow fought back with McNamara shooting over and then Watkins forcing a save out of Mallett. Close then shot wide before Blues came back into it scoring a vital second goal just as half time was approaching. This was the season of the experimental kick-in in place of the throw in and Nunn took the kick which found Fortune-West who made no mistake with his head to give Stortford a two goal cushion.
The second half saw Marlow determined to get back into the game and putting Stortford under a lot of early pressure. However in the 64th minute Fortune-West was put clear in a breakaway and seemed to have too much time. Muckleberg managed to put him off his shot and the hat-trick chance was gone. Two minutes later a nicely worked move saw Edmonds shoot over the bar. Despite more Marlow pressure Mallett had only one more save to make from Buzaglo. Otherwise the chances were fairly evenly distributed and Stortford were good value for the win.
Apart from that there have only been a couple of Herts Charity Cup games and friendlies on this date. One game of note was the pre-season friendly away to Wimbledon in August 1974 when we won 3-1 at Plough Lane against the team that was to take Leeds United to an FA Cup fourth round replay and win the Southern League for the first time.
2016 Poole Town 1 BSFC 0 – Conference South
Wright, Herd, Rodgers, Eyong, Vilcu, Moore-Azille, Woods-Garness, Ekim, Benjamin,
C O’Neill, Green Subs: Osei, R O’Neill, Furlonge Not Used: Lovelock, Nouble
2011 BSFC 0 Colwyn Bay 2 – Conference South
Eyre, Lettejallow, Anderson, Habu, Essam, Abdullahi, Cole, Rance, Gayle, Shulton, Bakare
Subs: Hahn, Read, Dadson Not Used: Prestedge, Jeffries
2005 BSFC 0 Eastbourne Borough 1 – Conference South
Gay, Thanda, Gwillim, Rainford, Lewis, Gillman, Manning, Midson, Morison, Jackman, Martin
Subs: Garrard Not Used: Jones, Champion, Adejokun, Hussey
1998 East Thurrock United 0 BSFC 2 – Friendly
1996 BSFC 3 Hemel Hempstead 1 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round
Dear, Wardley, Jordan, Moore, Claridge, Jackman, Cooper, Guile, Cherry, Ridout, Hooker
Subs: Walker, O’Sullivan, Sibanda Scorers: Jordan, Hooker, og
1994 BSFC 2 Marlow 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Mallett, Jordan, Nunn, Edmonds, Jackman, Hopkins, Close, Scott, Fortune-West, Gunn, Lee Subs: Burns Not Used: Hollamby, Windley Scorer: Fortune-West (2)
1991 Hitchin Town 1 BSFC 1 – Friendly
1985 BSFC 0 Hornchurch 2 – Friendly
1983 Boreham Wood 1 BSFC 0 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round
Welsh, Wickenden, Brown, Brooks, Elley, Hull, Hopkins, Lawrence, Robb, Armsby, Cardines Sub: Avery Not Used: Baines
1977 BSFC 0 Letchworth GC 3 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round
Barker, Moore, Searey, Pawley, Tuddenham, Chattaway, Melvin, Massey, Simmons, Swann, Thake Sub: Oakley
1974 Wimbledon 1 BSFC 3 – Friendly
1966 BSFC 0 Leyton 2 – Friendly
