Mens 2nd XI Match Report
Hertford 3rd XI v Potters Bar Men's 2nd XI
01 October 2011 | by Daniel Becker
Just week two of the league season and already an unbelievable standard has been set in the Second XI. The sheer quality and dedication of Richard Hughes in putting last week's match report together is of the very highest quality and it sets the bar at a huge height for those following to attain. I’ll do my best, but will undoubtedly fall well short!
Week two saw us visit Hertford on the hottest October day on record and the game always promised to be one of endurance and fitness with the weather more hoped for in the cricket season. Indeed our skipper still appeared to be in cricket mode as he arrived in flip flops only to discover that he'd left his hockey boots at home! Still we are nothing if not resilient and a lack of boots was not going to stop Spencer taking the field, as he borrowed a pair of trainers from yours truly after the Cuffley dash.
Entering into the spirit of a competitive match as opposed to a friendly we finally pushed back as opposed to gifting the ball to the oppo and started as we meant to go on, keeping possession and creating a couple of early chances which were spurned. The opening goal came against the run of play as a foul by Hertford in their own half was ignored and the break was on. The Bar defense was caught on the hop and the Hertford right wing hit the bye line, pulled the ball back and the center forward put the ball in the goal. This sparked Bar to life and the lead lasted less than a minute as an excellent passing move directly from the push back culminated in Miles Edson finishing clinically from close range. Bar soon pressed home their superiority as Toby Seaman knocked in the second after good work from John Yates in getting the ball towards goal. Bar pressed on and Will Stanyard, making his first start for the second XI was impressive holding the ball up and taking men on and several shots were created, all on the reverse side which started to zero in on their target but none caused the keeper too many problems. It was left to me to show the youngster how as from an almost identical position in the D I smashed the ball home on the reverse side, not quite proving that last week's effort wasn't a fluke, but it did get a few people wondering....!
The period just before half time saw both sides struggle with the heat and Hertford were awarded a short corner late on which they duly converted to give them a life line. Just as halftime beckoned Will made a break into the D only to hear the whistle go for the interval.
The team talk was for us to concentrate on our strengths, stay solid in the middle, don't muck around at the back, get the ball out wide and for Will to start shooting on the open side!
On the whole this is exactly what we did as a bright start was rewarded with an early goal for Will and this was followed by another 5 goals in the half, as Will completed his hat trick and then added a fourth for good measure with James McCormick and John Yates also getting in on the act. A couple of the goals were top quality with strong runs from midfield, well timed passes and comfortable finishes. By the time I dispossessed the Hertford playmaker, who bizarrely was an old school friend of mine!, traded a one two with Will, released James McCormick who gave the ball back to Will who waltzed past the goalie and placed the ball in the goal for number 8 the Hertford Keeper decided to find his own net on a number of occasions with various parts of his kit.
It was about halfway through the half that I realised I was on the match report and 11 goals in the game left me with a mammoth task! Michael Levy and Miles Edson were both excellent in the middle, running themselves into the ground, and wide men, Queenie and James McCormick, both had really good games, tormenting their defenders all afternoon and shortly before the end of the game John Yates with trademark timing popped up in the D to flick home Queenie's cross for our 9th and final goal.
An excellent performance all round. Charlie Carr for the second game on the trot had at the back had a solid game, but the entire back line of Richard, John, Spencer and Ben in goal have to have a mention as what they did have to do, they did very well indeed. Finally special mention to Shag whose little cameo’s should have resulted in a goal, if only he had the confidence to believe in himself rather than trying to find someone else to take the glory!
In a game where we scored 9, it is bound to be the front men who take the plaudits and Will Stanyard would have been man of the match, if we could be bothered to have such an award!
Final Score: Potters Bar 9 - 2 Hertford
Goal Scorers: W. Stanyard (4), D. Becker, M. Edson, T. Seaman, J. McCormick, J. Yates
Team: Spencer Randon (Capt); Ben Balmforth (Gk); Richard Hughes; Jon Yates; Charlie Carr; Danny Becker; James McCormick; Queenie; Toby Seaman; Dave Fennell; Michael Levy; Nick Walton; Paul Brady
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