match report

[Northern Monkey]

here

smashing down the hoardings eh, I wonder if they ever heard of Cuprinol <img src="/images/graemlins/affig.gif" alt="" />

[Laz]

What a geek!

[Northern Monkey]

No mate more of a CHAV an here is is motor

 

<img src="/images/graemlins/affig.gif" alt="" />

[Laz]

You chav! Is that tax disc still in date?

[Northern Monkey]

Tax disc?

[AFF]

I prefer this one:

 

 

Bedford Town 4, St. Albans City 5.

Ryman League Play-Off.

Tom Lewis reports from The New Eyrie.

 

1087 fans were treated to a feast of exciting attacking football as The Saints recovered from a two goal deficit at half time to finally secure a place in next season's Conference Division 1 South thanks to a fine injury time winner by Steve Watts, the goal of the game.

 

The Eagles were pre-match favourites having secured a League double over City this season but absent from the home side due to suspension were skipper Lee Howarth and the experienced Eddie Lawley. For Saints, Chris Zoricich was suspended and captain Derek Brown failed a late fitness test prompting a recall to the starting line-up for the popular youngster Chris Seeby and Player of the Season, Miguel De Souza.

 

City started brightly and opened the scoring on 7 minutes. Watts made space wide on the left despite the close attention of two defenders to hit a fine cross which was mis-hit by Greg Deacon and deflected by Steve Jackman into the net off the far post.

 

The visitors enjoyed the best of the opening quarter of an hour restricting Bedford to the counter attack, when the experienced strikers, Rene Howe and Drew Roberts looked dangerous. City keeper George Clark thwarted both with fine saves within minutes of the opening goal, and at the other end, Adam Parker failed to make contact with a Scott Oakes free kick with the goal seemingly at his mercy, and a Watts back header was inches high of the cross bar.

 

Bedford equalised on 20 minutes when midfielder Liam Folds rose unchallenged to meet a corner with a powerful header, prompting the home side to take control of the game. On 32 minutes, the Eagles scored their second when a fine through ball by Howe was gathered by Julian Capone who cleverly rounded Clark before clipping a fine goal into the unguarded net.

 

The home side seemed Conference bound when they extended their lead in the 37th minute with Folds meeting a Daniel French free kick with a diving header. City were on the rack for the closing minutes of the half with Clark forced to make fine saves from both Roberts and French before the break.

 

The Saints needed to find inspiration and manager Steve Castle brought himself on from the bench within a minute of the re-start. Remarkably, Bedford seemed content to sit on their two goal lead and conceded the initiative to the visitors who seized it gladly. The Saints midfield rose to the occasion magnificently with Castle and Parker running affairs with a passing game seen infrequently by the City faithful this term.

 

City pulled a goal back on 59 minutes when a Castle free-kick was deflected by De Souza to the far post for Parker to head home from close range. The equaliser followed 9 minutes later when a clever ball from Parker into the area was handled by Folds and Lee Clarke made no mistake with a powerfully hit penalty kick.

 

City were playing fine football but chances fell at both ends.

 

Three times, Clark made fine saves to deny Roberts on the counter attack, and for their part, City had two seemingly legitimate penalty appeals denied when first Clark and then Deacon were sent tumbling in the area after tackles from behind that made no contact with the ball.

 

The visitors deservedly took the lead for the second time in the match in the 75th minute when a Castle free-kick was missed by defence and attack alike but firmly met at the back post by the unmarked De Souza.

 

The home support, muted for much of the second half, tried to rally their troops and were rewarded 10 minutes from time when Roberts sprung the offside trap only to be brought down just inside the box by De Souza who was relieved to see a yellow card rather than red. Roberts got up and hit the spot kick high to Clark's right, the striker's 28th goal of the season.

 

The Saints maintained the pressure and Bedford had keeper Ian Brown to thank for two super saves from Watts and Deacon as the game headed into injury time. City deservedly settled the tie with the goal of the game as the seconds ticked by. Watts received a pass from Castle just on the edge of the area. The striker chested the ball down, turned and hit a right foot shot curling beyond Brown's fingertips into the far top corner of the net.

 

The final whistle followed and prompted scenes of dejection for Bedford who fall to the lower tier of the Isthmian League and wild celebration for the City players and fans who will play in the new Conference League next season.

 

Bedford Town: I. Brown, S. Jackman, C. Rydeheard, L. Folds, J. Taylor, D. Sarll, N. Quinn, J. Capone, R. Howe, D. Roberts, D. French. Unused subs: N. Lazarus, N. Stewart, A. Jaraszek, D. Purzycki, J. Hughes.

 

St Albans City: G. Clark, R. Thomas, D. Sargant, G. Wraight, M. De Souza, C. Seeby, (S. Castle 52), S. Oakes (D. Perkins 90), A. Parker, L. Clarke, S. Watts, G. Deacon. Unused subs: W. Jackman, N. Gough, G. Butler.

 

Referee: J. Lodge.

 

Attendance: 1087.

[Laz]

Slow day then, AFF?

[AFF]

Hi Laz.

 

No, very busy actually. I didn't just write it. It is a copy of an E-mail which found its way into my inboxthingy.

 

Why is that Eagle on about the hoardings? He shouldn't give up the day job, if you ask me. Hack!

 

I'll call you shortly.

 

 

[Northern Monkey]

The inference seemed to be the damage was deliberate, which I found offensive. They had crappy rotten boards that should have been replaced years ago, yus indeed.

Perhaps it was meant to be a metaphor for how their hopes were collapsing or summfing???

[Rob_the_Saint]

AFF, not wishing to nit-pick old chap, but the official title of the new Division is the Conference South.

 

The next one up is now known as the Conference National would you believe. Sounds like the name of a hotel or a bus company to me.

[AFF]

Hi Rob.

 

When was that announced, old chap?

[Rob_the_Saint]

Yesterday.

 

http://www.confguide.com/cgi-bin/news.mpl/2004/05/10/a

[JKiF]

or a spainish banque

[AFF]

Oh. That's Monday then. Monday, May 10th. Monday May 10th, 2004.

 

Remind me, Rob. When was the match played?

[Rob_the_Saint]

[sigh] you try to help...

 

Nice report though, do you do that squiggly writing stuff that the other HA Hack does?

[AFF]

You must mean shorthand, Rob. No. I take the odd note on the back of a cigarette packet then just let it flow.

 

"The other HA hack"? Nice chap. Dave Brawn. He did the Canvey and the Thurrock games at Clarence Park, most recently. He wasn't at the same games what I was at, Rob.

[Laz]

Quote:

AFF said:
I'll call you shortly.

I skipped out early yesterday, so if you called, I was out!