Rep Teams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNDER 16
 
 

HERTFORDSHIRE   1  v  0   ESSEX             
 
East Anglian Counties u16 Championship

Sun 10 Feb at Letchworth County Ground
 
A single goal from Harry Crawford was the only difference between Hertfordshire and Essex as Dan Rose's Under 16s lost-out for the first time this season at Letchworth.
 
"We're a little disappointed," said Essex's joint-boss Rose after a tight clash. "Chances were few and far between and we couldn't hit the target with the efforts we did have."
 
 
In a game where neither side, it seemed, could find a way through, the decisive goal came from a rare Jonathan Glowacki slip as his mis-placed pass fell straight to the feet of Crawford who beat 'keeper Lewis Batchford with a terrific twenty-yard shot.
 
"Jonathan is gutted," explained Rose. "He had a good game but made just one mistake which has proved to be the difference in such a close match. Their player still had a lot to do, though, and his finish was fantastic."
 
Essex had the best of what was on offer during a goalless first period. Adam Rushen's angled lob hit the side-netting and Ollie Dingli shot just off target following a fine run. Just two minutes before the interval, Herts goalkeeper Tom Channing showed safe hands as he held onto Umokoro's header from a Rushen cross.

The home side upped their performance after the interval, however, and began to create some fine opportunities, Crawford hitting a fierce fifteen-yard drive over the top after sprinting clear and George Wappett nodded a Rob Magwood centre inches wide of the post.

The winning goal arrived on 61 minutes, Glowacki's slip gifting the ball to Crawford who skipped along the edge of the box before hitting a low drive just inside the post, giving Batchford little chance.

Essex responded well but couldn't quite find a way back into the game. Fantastic work by Umokoro, having latched onto Dingli's through ball, saw him twist his way through the home defence before poking a shot just past the post.

Finally, some six minutes into stoppage time, Essex created another splendid chance to level the arrears, but Lemonious, having cut inside from the right before beating 'stopper Channing, saw his chip drop just the wrong side of the post.

"We have one more game left now against Cambridgeshire, where there could be all to play for," revealed Rose. "There's now a few of us all level on four points at the top, so it could prove to be a deciding game!"

Hertfordshire: Tom Channing (St. Albans City), Charles Norman (St. Albans City), Michael Booth (Hemel Hempstead Town), Bill Morgan (Hemel Hempstead Town), Thomas Smith (Hemel Hempstead Town), Jack Wood (Hemel Hempstead Town), Rob Magwood (St. Albans City), Connor Baker (St. Albans City), Harry Crawford (St. Albans City), George Wappett (Bishop's Stortford), Luke Thatcher (St. Albans City). Substitutes (rotating): Mark Hillier (St. Albans City), Kieran Ferdinand (St. Albans City), Robbie Armstrong (St. Albans City), Jack Barton (Baldock Town).

Essex: Billy Byrne (Eton Manor), Lemar Lemonious (A.F.C. Hornchurch), Alfie Miller (Grays Athletic), James Love (Heybridge Swifts), Liam Valentine (A.F.C. Hornchurch), Jonathan Glowacki (Romford), Karl Walshley (Maldon Town), James Norcott (Canning Town), Godfrey Umokoro (Clapton), Ollie Dingli (Eton Manor), Adam Rushen (Heybridge Swifts). Substitutes (rotating): Martyn Stokes (Heybridge Swifts), Lewis Batchford (Chelmsford City), Robert Bragg (Maldon Town).

Bookings: None.

Referee: Peter Killen (St. Albans).

Assistant Referees: Phillip Evans (St. Albans) and Paul Rampley (Stevenage).