CHESHUNT 4 POTTERS BAR TOWN 2
Ryman League Division 1 North
Tuesday 3rd March 2009
Harry England reports.....
An entertaining game in the driving rain saw the Ambers run out 4-2 victors against local side Potters Bar. After the dismal performance against Ilford on Saturday, we were looking to make amends, and with Dan Bradford and Kai Ramshaw back in the team after a while out, things looked promising.
Neither side threatened for the first fifteen minutes, with only a few pot-shots going wide or over, and there was no rhythm to the game. Glen Parry picked up a booking in the eighteenth minute, before Ashley Harris looked to continue his form against Ilford by palming away a good free-kick. Potters Bar's Joe O'Brien got himself booked on twenty-two minutes for a foul on Kai Ramshaw, then Charlie Simpson looked to score his first goal for the club. Michael Pelley made a great tackle and set Mervin Abraham away down the left. His cross evaded Ashley-Taylor-Forbes, and Simpson at the back post blazed way over, disappointing for the youngster. On the half-hour mark, a corner from Simpson teased the area, but nobody could get a touch before it was eventually cleared. Cheshunt did well to score in the first-half, as they were playing into the rain, but on thirty-four minutes, Kai Ramshaw's free-kick was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Richard Wilmott, but Michael Pelley was there to pounce and prod home to give Cheshunt the lead. Sam Adejokun was looking the most dangerous for the visitors, causing problems in the Ambers defence, and he saw a low shot well saved by Harris six minutes before the break. A soft Cheshunt header was then cleared from the line, before there was a real scare. Harris came charging off his line and attempted a scissor-kick, completely mis-kicking the ball. Luckily he got the tackle in afterwards to deny Adejokun an easy goal. He then had to make another good save as he punched away a curling shot by Aryan Tajbaskan.
The second-half saw Cheshunt playing with the rain, which would certainly make things easier. Early in the half, Ola Williams' great ball from the right was met by Lewis Jones, who's powerful effort was just a whisker over the bar. Five minutes in, there were appeals for a penalty by Potters Bar, after Glen Parry's tackle on Adejokun, but the referee correctly waved away the appeal. Harris then went down injured after a massive goalmouth scramble, which was eventually cleared, but he continued playing after treatment. On sixty-four minutes, a short free-kick was played to Ramshaw, and he hit a piledriver from the edge of the area which was pushed in by the opposing goalkeeper Wilmott. Potters Bar hit back just moments later though, as a cross from the left was met by Adejokun's glancing header for 2-1. On seventy-three minutes, Dan Bradford went up for an aerial ball with Wilmott outside the area, with both men both going down, and Kai Ramshaw was left an easy goal. One minute later Bradford got on the scoresheet himself. Mervin Abraham's shot bounced comically over the goalkeepers head and Bradford poached the goal, tapping it in from a yard. Potters Bar got one back five minutes from time through Lewis Jones, as he robbed Harris and rolled the ball in. Nonetheless, it was a much more confident performance from the Ambers.
Cheshunt: Harris, Pelley, Parry, Thorogood, Johns, Harrison, Taylor-Forbes, Ramshaw (Churchouse 82'), Bradford (Mitchell 87'), Simpson (Tresadern 66'), Abraham
Unused: Taylor, Pigden
Potters Bar: Wilmott, Spencer, Roberts (Wilson 79'), Jones, Barrows, Odayo, Williams, O'Brien, Adejokun, Bolt (Harrison-Barker 71'), Tajbaskan (Mitchell 79')
Attendance: 115