Buntingford Town 1 Sandridge Rovers 1 BUNTINGFORD boss Paul Attfield expressed his frustration after seeing his side again put in a good performance, but fail to take all three points. I m very frustrated that we didn t take all three points despite

Buntingford Town 1 Sandridge Rovers 1

BUNTINGFORD boss Paul Attfield expressed his frustration after seeing his side again put in a good performance, but fail to take all three points.

"I'm very frustrated that we didn't take all three points despite again putting in another very good performance" he said.

"We missed a hatful of presentable opportunities that should have been taken. This just seems to be our main problem at the moment but the important thing is that in most recent games our approach play has been good enough to create chances against every team we play.

"We just lack that little composure at times which I'm confident will change".

The hosts put in another good performance against Sandridge last Tuesday, but again lacked the final killer instinct in front of goal as they squandered a hatful of good chances which would have given them a deserved three points.

Having beaten Sandridge in the previous fixture some six weeks earlier Town, after their recent good performances, started on the offensive and put their visitors firmly on the back foot.

An early cross from the lively Gary Christie was met by Matt Turl but the ball was scrambled off the line and the same player had another goalbound header cleared off the line from another header, Michael Ettienne this time supplying the inch-perfect set play although the ball looked suspiciously over the line.

Christie and John Bitting also went close in the opening exchanges but Sandridge gave Town a stark warning when after failing to clear a throw in properly Wickens curled a 20 yard shot against the top of the crossbar with Damion Williamson well beaten.

Town were continuing to press with Mark Smith and Tom Wisson just dominating crucial midfield battles and it was somewhat against the run of play that the visitors took the lead in the 26th minute; Williamson failed to hold onto a sharp angled 12 yard drive and Chris Wickens reacted quickest to stab home the loose ball in the six yard box.

Credit to Town though as they showed the courage to push forward again and equalised just three minute later - Duncan Easley threaded a ball in the left channel for Bitting to outpace the full back and cross for Christie to convert off the near post under the dive of the visiting keeper.

Tom Wisson who had a particularly fine game was unlucky not to score his first of the season when he smashed a loose ball from a corner from 20 yards straight at the keeper, with the ball hitting the visiting custodian's arms and ballooning over the bar with him knowing very little - a yard either side of the keeper would no doubt have given Town the lead.

Despite Town's first half dominance it was Sandridge who livened themselves up at the break and started the better in the second half.

They created three half chances in the opening exchanges with neither testing the home goal but Williamson did well to keep out another Wickens drive on 56 minutes with the ball being scrambled away after the save for a corner.

Attfield was forced to make two changes in the opening five minutes of the second half, George Garner going off ill and Ettienne through injury.

His third change was also enforced after a reckless challenge by scorer Wickens on David Cain, and having been booked in the first half, Wickens was duly sent off by referee Bird with 25 minutes left.

Youth team players Tom Malins, Carl Simmonds and Tim Jarman helped liven up the now re-juvenated Buntingford side and the remaining 25 minutes saw a barrage of home pressure as they made the numerical advantage count.

Bitting had two one-on-one situations that the visiting keeper saved on both occasions quite brilliantly, while Jarman and Malins were presented with a hat-trick of chances in the area but each effort just cleared the crossbar, and a Malins header also just went over from a Bitting corner.

The best move of the game in the last minute saw Town quickly advance to goal and when Easley connected with a Christie cushioned pass from 20 yards out the ball looked destined for the goal but agonisingly went the wrong side of the upright with the keeper motionless.

n Town hosted Harlow League side Risdon Wood on Monday at Norton Road, and a pair of second half strikes from Bitten plus a first half effort from Robbie Wilmott gave them a 3-0 win. They travel to Met Police Bushey on Saturday.