WE OPEN NEW CAMPAIGN WITH AN AWAY DRAW

Saturday 27th July 2024

With a blue sky and bright sunshine and the Paris Olympics and cricket season well under way it could only mean one thing – the start of the new football season. We travelled 50 miles north into deepest Beds to open our League campaign against Biggleswade United at their renamed Verdant Stadium, an apt name because their pitch was lush and green with a surface as smooth as a baby’s posterior.

We used to enjoy a lot of success on our travels to their ground losing only once in our first 20 visits there. However, the picture has been less rosy in recent times with 6 defeats from our last 7 trips there so we knew a tough match was on the cards.

Our hosts were under new management and had a much-changed squad so their team spirit and desire to get off to a good start was evident throughout the game. Last season Ryan Sturges and his coaching team just missed out by a mere 2 points from qualifying for the play-offs and they worked hard to retain the bulk of the team. Only a couple of players moved on but they were replaced by 2 new exciting newcomers – namely Harry Beaumont and Dylan Fitzpatrick.

We were, for various reasons, still missing Dave O’Connor, Greg Deer and Harry Shepherd but we still had a strong line up supplemented by some exciting youngsters who have come through our youth system like Bailey Osborne, Charlie Bradshaw, Mason Clarke and James Sales.

We had a terrific pre-season, winning 5 and drawing 1 of our 6 friendlies and we started this game on the front foot playing some lovely football on the great surface. After only 4 minutes Bailey Osborne robbed a defender and was nearly through on goal. Soon afterwards Frankie Hercules struck a trade mark free kick, that was at least 25 yards out, just wide. We looked dangerous in attack and got round the back of their defence a few times but the home defenders did well to clear the danger.

As the game wore on our hosts started to get into it more and enjoy spells of good possession and Harrison Cornick and George Carbery were both called into action to block some potentially dangerous shots.

A minute past the half hour mark we opened the scoring with a terrific goal from Ben Kakembo. Max Hercules started the move by playing the ball into Bailey Osborne who laid it off to Ben who escaped from his marker to smash a terrific shot home from just outside the area. Score 0-1.

Former Athletic man Liam Smyth forced a good save from Dan Gould with a well struck shot in the 41st minute and we reached half time still holding a slim 1-0 lead. HT Score 0-1.

On the hour mark Max Hercules and Bailey Osborne set up Frankie Hercules whose shot was brilliantly tipped over the bar by keeper Josh Mollison. We needed a second goal but unfortunately it was our opponents who got themselves right back in the game with a goal in the 65th minute. A long ball down the left caught us out and Scott Metcalfe did very to score from an acute angle for his first goal for the club. Score 1-1. Soon afterwards Metcalfe nearly doubled his tally with a shot that went just wide.

As we entered the last quarter of the game Ben Kakembo put pressure on the defender who knocked the ball past his outrushing keeper with the ball just going the wrong side of the post for us. The keeper was injured in the collision but thankfully he was well enough to continue.

From the corner Max Hercules smashed a shot which a defender did well to clear off the line. From the second corner it was his brother Frankie who shot just over when well placed. As the game entered the last 15 minutes the home side started to believe they could win the game and we had to deal with some dangerous crosses and set pieces into our area but we held on for a draw. FT Score 1-1.

In some ways it was a disappointing result because we failed to get the second killer goal but full marks to our opponents who could have nicked a win in the last few minutes so a draw was probably a fair result and as a sage said afterwards its better to draw than lose your opening game (no names mentioned but it was Bob!).

We now have 2 matches coming up at The Michael Anthony Stadium with London Lions the visitors on Tuesday for a League game followed by Barking on Saturday in the FA Cup. So, plenty of action coming up so come along and support the lads.

Team: Dan Gould, Harrison Cornick, Harry Beaumont, Max Hercules, Jack Harvey (Adam Sawyer 62), Ben Kakembo, Frankie Hercules, George Carbery (Capt), Dylan Fitzpatrick (Charlie Bradshaw 88), Lee Stobbs (Mason Clarke 78), Bailey Osborne (Harry Jones 68). Sub not used: James Sales

Goals:

BU: Scott Metcalfe (65)

TA: Ben Kakembo (31)

Crowd: 205