Hatfield Town exerted their revenge on Knebworth in Saturday's
Herts Senior County League Premier Division tie at The Recreation
Ground. Just as Knebworth had done in September, Hatfield
thoroughly outplayed their opponents and powered to a 4-1
victory.
Twenty minutes had been played before either side could muster a
shot on target, after a slow and scrappy start to the game.
Knebworth's Tom Bowgett cleared the ball off the line from Darryn
Stewart, shortly before having to be replaced by Seb Evans having
been caught by a late Ade Hammill tackle moments before. Town
continued to threaten with a host of corners, striker Craig Woodham
flashing a volley wide on one such occasion.
Knebworth struggled to get into the game and took nearly half an
hour to put together a progressive passing move, ending with Adie
Turner volleying over from the edge of the area. Jamie
Drackford was also unable to test Sam Lacey in the visitors' goal
when his rushed shot went well wide of the mark, following a
positive driving run from Adam Lamacraft.
Woodham broke the deadlock in the 40th minute, latching onto a
cross field pass and clipping the ball over a charging Kieron
Fox. Hatfield skipper David Reade looked to have doubled his
side's lead, smashing home a loose ball inside the area, only to
fall foul of the assistant referee's flag.
The hosts finished the half with a fine move, starting with
captain Tom Bilton's wide ball to Evans. Playing the ball
inside to Lamacraft, he found midfielder Graham Dove who's chip
called Lacey into action for the first time. The resulting
corner proved too high for Jamie Drackford at the back post and
Hatfield retained their slim advantage going into the break.
The second half began at a furious pace and Knebworth were back
on level terms within three minutes of the restart, when Evans'
deep corner found it's way into the net.
In response, Town piled on the pressure. Woodham raced
onto a Field through ball before being shut out by K's goalkeeper
Fox, as a succession of corners followed. Knebworth put their
opponents on the back foot shortly afterwards, Mullen's left wing
cross being half cleared for Lamacraft to strike goal bound.
Lacey intervened to concede a corner, and Golder swiped the ball
off the line from Simon Brooks' header.
Reade took the game by the scruff of the neck just after the
hour mark, bursting through the midfield and riding four challenges
on his way into the Knebworth box before taking a fall over
Mullen's light tackle. The AD Bly Man of the Match dusted
himself down to confidently bury the spot kick to Fox's right,
despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to it.
Town began a relentless siege on Knebworth's goal after their
skipper's inspirational intervention, Woodham drifted in from
the left side but rolled his shot wide of Fox's goal frame.
Hammill and Trevor Golder both found their names in the referee's
book for over zealous challenges, before they combined
to add a third for the visitors. Hammill flicked on
Reade's corner, where Golder was lying in wait to drive the ball
into the K's net in the 72nd minute.
The late introductions of Jason Drackford and Stevie Clark
failed to make the impact Knebworth manager Tony Lamacraft had
hoped for.
Woodham saw another Hatfield goal ruled out for offside, lashing
home from 15 yards, before he added a fourth and his second of the
afternoon. Full back Kev White's long throw found it's way to
the back post, where the former Lemsford striker's low diving
header came back off the upright before trickling over the
line.
Hatfield Town chairman Ted Collie was delighted with his team's
victory, and felt the scoreline was particularly just following the
sides' previous meeting. "At the end of the day, we wanted it
more" Collie observed, "and we need these points for
promotion".
Knebworth supremo Tony Lamacraft was left disappointed by
another poor performance from his inconsistant side. "We were
beaten by a better side today" he reflected, "too many of the boys
went missing and left too few to do too much".
Lamacraft sighted the loss of Tom Bowgett "a major
blow". "Bowgs has just recently broken into the team and has
been outstanding in recent weeks, he'll be out for a number of
weeks now."
Knebworth slipped one place to eleventh, while Town leapfrogged
Hertford Heath to go third. Both sides are in County Cup
action next week, the K's travel to Bedmond and Hatfield face
landlords Harpenden Town.
Knebworth: Fox, Bond, Mullen, Lannon, Brooks, Bilton (c),
Jamie Drackford, G Dove (Clark), Bowgett (S Evans), Turner (Jason
Drackford), A Lamacraft. SNU: Errington.
Hatfield Town: Lacey, Golder (Dines), White, Valentine,
Cooke, Smith, Reade (c), Stewart (Coley), Woodham (Caswell),
Hammill, Field. SNU: Wallington.