| HARPENDEN
III: 3
ROYSTON III: 0
27.11.04
Harpenden
3’s took on lowly placed Royston on Saturday, and duly ensured
a comfortable 3-0 victory. However, the basic information hides
the devil in the details of what was yet another eventful chapter
in the increasingly idiosyncratic development of Ali Keith’s
side.
First up was the fact that the 5.00pm push back
meant playing under floodlights at the Brache, an experience those
unaccustomed to training were experiencing for the first time
in a while. To say that the opposition players were disgruntled
with the late slot would be an understatement. Their mood was
not improved by the tardy arrival of Harpenden’s goal keeping
ace John Allen, which delayed the start further.
However,
Royston were positively ebullient in comparison to senior pro
Simon Redford, who took some offence at being played out of position.
It is to his great credit that the experienced campaigner turned
in yet another high quality performance for the Blues. One brilliant
Maradonnaesque run through the opposition in the first half, surely
intended as an eloquent two-fingered salute at the circumstances
perceived to be raging against him. Given these circumstances,
stand in skipper Tom Preest’s decision to spend the warm
up improving the team’s grasp of Shakespearian tragedy was
surely justified.
Thus fortified Harpenden started brightly, Peter
Evans looking particularly good in central midfield and James
Rodwell making solid contributions at right back. Chances came
at both ends, but it was Harpenden who broke the deadlock after
20 minutes. Malcolm Jones made a typically surging run, feeding
Preest at the top of the D. Preest’s first time shot on
the turn found the bottom corner, and the blues were 1 up. This
was soon to be 2-0 as the threes scored their best goal of the
season thus far.
A
great clearance by Rodwell, saw Preest feed Paul Clements. The
midfield dynamo turned for goal and drew defenders before finding
Jones with a precise pass. The experienced striker gave himself
the angle and finished with aplomb. Clements was a constant threat
down the right Harpenden appeared to be heading for a rout when
they scored again before half time. Jones found himself one on
one with the keeper, he then squared to Preest (sliced shot or
inch perfect pass? Who cares?), who placed the ball in the empty
net for his 10th of the season. Referring to media speculation
that a call-up to the 2s in in the offing, Preest commented "I've
heard that some scounts from the 2s have had me watched, but I
think it's just paper talk. I'm just happy to be doing what I
do best in the 3s - hitting the net with startling regularity."
The second half was a more prosaic affair, as
Harpenden took their foot off the gas somewhat. James Evans replaced
Jones, giving the threes the longest haired striking partnership
in the league (as opposed to the oldest). The youngster continued
to show much promise both in the style stakes and on the hockey
field. Royston came back into the game bringing some fine saves
from the still slightly dazed Allen and the best out of his defenders,
of whom James Stenson was outstanding. The main talking point
was Redford’s conversion to the forward line, which in turn
led Jim Keith having an impromptu if successful outing at centre
back.
The threes celebrated their victory with an outing
to the popular live music venue The Horn Reborn in St. Albans.
The night was not without incident, sadly the details can not
be related in such a public forum. Suffice to say the band was
rubbish, and Rob Arnsby went home with the kitty.
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