BISHOPS STORTFORD III: 1
HARPENDEN II: 3
06.10.2007

Peter Kneale’s men arrived in Bishop’s Stortford buoyed by a last minute winner in their opening fixture the week before, but expecting a tough battle against a Stortford side who have beaten Harpenden on the last four meetings. What resulted, however, was a tremendous performance and comfortable victory that bodes well for the rest of the season.

“We always expect a battle against these guys” commented skipper Kneale “so I was a little surprised at how easy it was. There will be tougher tests to come, but if we can maintain the performance levels throughout the rest of the season, we’ll be there or thereabouts come April.”

The Harpenden outfit got off to the perfect start when, with less than two minutes on the clock, pace-ace Nigel Timms broke through the host’s defence and produced a fine reverse stick finish that surprised the keeper and Timms’ teammates in equal measure. With the early goal behind them, the blues began to play controlled, searching hockey, and if front man Fraser Tant had been wearing his shooting boots, the lead could have been extended. Niall Blackwell somehow contrived not to deflect Simon Evans’ cross goalward when just inches from the line, while Timms to could have doubled his tally with a little more composure in front of goal. However, the lead was deservedly extended when the blues won their first short corner of the half, the skipper himself quickest to pounce when Tant’s strike hit the keeper’s pads.

In defence, Harpenden were firmly in control. The whites have no shortage of experience, particularly across the back four, and the tackling, distribution and organisation of Kevin Moxham, Graham Smith, Sam Martyn and Steve Piercy was excellent all afternoon. On the rare occasions when this Fab Four was breached, keeper Ben Brind kept Stortford at bay.

Harps were more than deserving of their 2-0 interval lead, but Kneale was quick to point out to his men that the next goal was crucial, and were it to go to Stortford Harpenden could find themselves in a spot of bother. Blackwell came very close with a well worked short corner routine and Timms thundered a piledriver against the post, but it was Tant who secured the points with a well-taken finish after nice interplay between midfield combo Ali Holland and the influential Ben Turner.

Stortford reduced the arrears by one goal midway through the second half, and put Harpenden under a fair amount of pressure, but the whites’ concentration levels remained high and they closed out the game without much bother.

“That was a good performance from the lads” said midfield dynamo Turner. “We could have been more ruthless in front of goal, but the key thing is that the forwards were getting in to great positions and us guys in midfield kept finding them. Besides, it’s better to miss them when you’re 3-0 up and coasting than when you 1-0 down with a minute to go.”

Harpenden host Winchmore Hill next weekend, keen to maintain their 100% record and establish themselves as genuine title contenders this season.

Team: Ben Brind, Kevin Moxham, Graham Smith, Sam Martyn, Steve Piercy, Ali Holland, Pete Kneale, Ben Turner, Simon Evans, Fraser Tant, Nigel Timms, Niall Blackwell

Scorers
1) Nigel Timms
2) Peter Kneale
3) Fraser Tant