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LUTON TOWN I: 3
HARPENDEN II: 2
24.11.2007
Harpenden were cruelly
robbed of one of only 4 unbeaten records in the whole of the east
league on Saturday, a goal with the last touch of the ball depriving
them a well-deserved point against local rivals Luton.
It’s a great credit to Pete
Kneale’s men that they are competing at this level –
only a couple of years ago, Harpenden’s first team were
losing to Luton first team. This won’t ease the pain though,
as Harpenden lost the chance to leapfrog their opposition into
second place, and put some daylight between the teams in third
and fourth. As it stands, Harpenden are still very much in the
running for promotion though, and will be looking forward to exacting
revenge in the return fixture in March.
One man who certainly didn’t deserve
to be on the losing side was the club’s premier marksman,
Nigel Timms. The quick-heeled club treasurer has raised his game
this season, registering more than a goal a game and surely catching
the attention of first team supremo Mike Emes. “It’s
flattering to be talked about in such terms” commented
the affable frontman, “but I’m just focussing
on doing what I can to help the 2s realise our potential”.
Timms opened the scoring with a fine solo
goal after 10 minutes. An interception from midfield mosquito
Ben Turner stopped Luton in their tracks, and his quick ball to
Timms set the pocket rocket off towards goal, accompanied in a
two-on-one by Niall Blackwell. With the onrushing keeper committed
to the ballcarrier, a square pass to Blackwell in front of an
open goal seemed the obvious choice. Timms, however, rarely chooses
the straightforward decision, and instead rounded the keeper and
fired home from the narrowest of angles.
The goal seemed to spur the hosts on, and
Harpenden soon found themselves under considerable pressure. The
services of Ben Brind were called upon regularly, and he duly
obliged with a string of fine saves. Having kept Harpenden’s
first team at bay during a practice match a couple of days earlier,
surely he too must be under discussion at first team selection
meetings? Despite new father Sam Martyn returning to the defence,
and with Graham Smith indefatigable as ever, an equaliser appeared
inevitable, and duly arrived from a well struck short corner routine.
Luton seemed the more likely side to score
the next goal, but that wasn’t allowing for Timms, who picked
up a pass from Fraser Tant, sold an outrageous dummy that flummoxed
not only the centre back and keeper but everyone else too, and
fired home from the edge of the D to restore the lead.
At the half-time interval, Kneale applauded
his team’s efforts and urged them to keep doing what they
were doing. “I felt that we were in the box seat”
commented the skipper “but that we would have to be
on our mettle if we were to take the points. Sadly, it wasn’t
to be.” Ten minutes in the second half, Luton claimed
their equaliser, and there followed 25 minutes of jousting, each
team looking for a winner while not being too reckless in sending
men forward. On one occasion, throwing caution to the wind, right
back Ali Holland released Fraser Tant on the right wing, and was
on the end of a return pass once Tant had rounded the left back.
Holland’s crisp slap from the edge of the D beat the keeper
and seemed destined for the corner of the goal, but agonisingly
flew millimetres wide. Simon Evans, following up on the back post,
was equally close to getting the telling deflection that would
have restored Harpenden’s lead, but it wasn’t to be.
As the game approached its denouement, a
cruel twist of fate secured the points for Luton, with a misplaced
forward pass collected by the Luton sweeper. He drilled it forward
and, despite the best efforts of Dave Waters on the goalline,
the Luton forward poked home to claim a 3-2 lead. There was not
even time for a restart.
Harpenden have a week off next week, but
will hope to finish 2007 on a high with a victory against strugglers
Rickmansworth on 8th December.
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Scorers
1) Nigel Timms
2) Nigel Timms
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