Mens 1st XI Match Report
Royston 1st XI v Potters Bar Men's 1st XI
26 March 2011 | by Ed Whybrow
Potters Bar went into the final game of the season knowing that they required a victory to guarantee the title having secured promotion from Div 3SW two weeks earlier.
Bar started well retaining the ball and hitting Royston on the counter attack and this led to an early chance for Michael Levy. Having played a one-two with Ed Whybrow his shot went just the wrong side of the post. Royston began to gain control of the ball and pushed Bar on to the back foot. However, Bar made a quick break through Tony Sayers and then Mark Turpin which led to the first short corner of the game. From this Whybrow slide the ball to the left of the keeper to give Bar the lead.
It took Royston little time to get back level. From a long corner Whybrow gave the ball away leading to a 3 on 2 break for Royston. This was calmly finished to make the score 1-1. This gave Royston added belief afterwards leading to a period of sustained pressure on the bar goal. Some strong defending from the back 4 and goalkeeping from Ryan Maidment meant that the score was 1-1 at halftime.
After half time the game became scrappy, aided by some very clear and concise umpiring, with very few clear cut chances with Royston shaving the game. Bar, as so often this season, managed to fine a goal from nothing. A break down the right led to the ball being squared to Tony Sayers at the top of the D whose shot struck the keeper before lopping up and being put into the net by a defender on the line.
With the lead again Bar should have been on the front foot but this was not the case. Royston kept the pressure up and scored two goals in the space of 5 minutes. The first was a well worked move down the right with a sharp finish at the far post and the second a fortunate short corner which clipped the inside of the post before rolling over the line.
It was not meant to be for Bar who were not at their best. For the second year in a row Bar had lost the title on the final day of the season. However, having been promoted last year Bar should be happy with promotion again and the dizzying heights of Division 2 South next year and the prospect of trips to the delights of Southend-on-Sea.
It’s been emotional J
Final Score: Potters Bar 2 - 3 Royston
Goal Scorers: E Whybrow, T Sayers
Team: Ryan Maidment (GK), Ed Newbery (C), Rob Donoghue, Ben Graham, Owen Hughes, Chris Chittleborough, Ed Whybrow, Ray Li, Mark Turpin, Tony Sayers, Andy Foster-Yeow, Michael Levy, Charlie Irish
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