Cheshunt 1st XI v Potters Bar 1st XI
Saturday 12th December 2009

Potters Bar faced Cheshunt in their last match before the Christmas break and Bar wanted to end the first half of the season on a winning note. Cheshunt were third in the league and Potters Bar knew this would be tough game. After a rousing team talk Potters Bar started brightly, pressing high up the pitch creating plenty of chances in the opening exchanges.

Chris Chittleborough and Ed Whybrow were controlling the midfield breaking down any threat from the Cheshunt players. This constant pressure lead to a Cheshunt pass from their centre back being intercepted by Ed Whybrow. He collected the ball at the top of the D and unleashed a venomous shot in the bottom right of the goal.

Strong defensive performances from Owen Hughes, Ben Graham and Rob Donoghue ensured Potters Bar were solid at the back and as the game developed were increasingly difficult to break through. Bar were able to build their attacking plays from this solid base which resulted in some exciting hockey from the leaders of the NE14HOCKEY East League Division 4 South West. Chris Chittleborough won a short corner which Mark Turpin stopped for Ed Whybrow to drag flick into the corner of the goal.

At the end of the first half, the score line was only 2-0 and Bar knew the next goal would determine the outcome of the game. Bar set about the second half with the same intensity as the first half with some attacking play using their abundant pace down the wings which Tony Sayers exploited collecting the ball down the left and breaking into the D and hitting a powerful shot through a melee of players from a tight angle across goal which the keeper was unable to save.

Not long later, Whybrow played a through ball to Sayers who ran around the back of the defender to collect the ball. David Fennell offered an outlet to his right which presented a difficult angle for the keeper to defend allowing Sayers to slot the ball into the back of the goal. 4-0.

Potters Bar rarely need to call upon the talents of their highly rated goalkeeper however Cheshunt broke down the right and allowed their forward to have a slap shot which was going into the bottom left until Geoff Smith produced an instinctive save driving to his right. This spurred Bar on to control the midfield with encouragingly swift counter attacks whenever Cheshunt attempted to build attacks during the second half.

Another opportunity presented itself to Tony Sayers when he intercepted a stray pass from a Cheshunt defender and Sayers broke into the D with speed and found Miles Tomkins open to his left which left him with a deserved tap in from his hard work during the game.

However in the second half, Cheshunt were playing more direct hockey and with long passes from the back finding their strikers which posed a threat to Potters Bar. However with Rob Donoghue moving into centre-back position for the second half, Bar were able to close down these attacks and drive the team forward.

Cheshunt deserved their consolation following a break in the closing minutes of the game which was slotted away by their striker, however this did not take away from a well deserved victory for the Bar. Potters Bar’s next game is on 16th January at home where they hope to continue their challenge to top the table for Divsion 4 SW.

by Chris Chittleborough