Frustration for Snowden babes

ROYSTON 2 HODDESDON TOWN 4 SpartanLeague By TOM BROWN at Garden Walk WITH the aim of automatic promotion, Royston Town will hope Tuesday night s defeat to Hoddesdon will not come back to haunt them. With three points there for the taking, boss Phil Sn

ROYSTON 2

HODDESDON TOWN 4

SpartanLeague

By TOM BROWN at Garden Walk

WITH the aim of automatic promotion, Royston Town will hope Tuesday night's defeat to Hoddesdon will not come back to haunt them.

With three points there for the taking, boss Phil Snowden could well rue the missed opportunity come the season's end.

He said: "It was a game we should have won. Hoddesdon were no better than us and we created the better chances.

"Two defeats in two games isn't good enough. But with so many players unavailable it's not surprising."

The depleted Crows went into their second league fixture without first team regulars Michael Baker, Mark Saunders, Michael Bloss, and Allan Reid, with Snowden fielding a side full of players from the 'A' and youth teams.

And it was perhaps their inexperience that led to Hoddesdon's opener after 12 minutes, when full-back Mark Teasdale burst down the right, crossed, and found Andrew Martin unmarked in the box.

However, the energy and skill of young Rob Gwynne almost gave Royston an immediate reply when his cracking volley forced Hoddesdon keeper Chris Fitkin to make the save of the game after some good work from skipper Stuart Snowden.

But Royston were dealt yet another injury blow, when keeper James Scott limped off with a recurrence of a thigh strain.

The Crows had a chance to draw level when the impressive Snowden and Gwynne combined to free Dave McMurrough, who fired straight at Fitkin.

Then controversy struck when Hoddesdon's Nick Newberry upended Royston's last man Lee Rogers, ran through and slipped the ball under the advancing Greg Jackson - much to the disbelief of the Royston bench.

In the second half, looking to change the flow of his attack, Snowden introduced Carl Edwards and Jez McMurrough - returning to Garden Walk after a brief spell with Histon.

But minutes after their arrival, Hoddesdon grabbed a third when Matt Spiers clipped in a Gareth Lippiatt through ball.

But Royston got their reward when, Jez McMurrough's corner was turned in by a Hoddesdon defender to set up a frantic last 15 minutes.

At 3-1, the home side sensed that they could snatch a result, with Rogers coming to life in the middle of the park. And after setting up a Graham Tibbals' bar shattering drive, the tricky number 10 fired in Royston's second.

But their hard work came undone, with Hoddesdon's response swift and instant.

Breaking from the restart, Lee Tombs smashed home Spiers' pull back with a goal that killed any chance of a come back.

Boss Snowden said: "It's vital that I get the rest of the lads back and fast. Until then it's going to be very tough."

Royston: Scott (Jackson); Lewis (Edwards), Blair, Snowden, Chappell; Rogers, Nash, Perkiss; Gwynne (J McMurrough), D McMurrough, Tibbals. (Subs not used): White, Crosik.