Where there’s a Will, there’s a win

Buntingford Town 2

Hatfield Town 1

By Dave Ryan

WILL Turl's 88th minute goal saw Town collect the three points in this top-of-the-table clash.

On a frustrating afternoon for the home side, 17-year-old Turl sent a looping header over the visiting keeper two minutes from time to maintain Town's unbeaten record.

The opening stages were dominated by the hosts as they gained a frenzy of corners and gained some dangerous free kicks but could not make good pressure tell.

Dean Chaffey twice and Chris Hardy both missed headers when well placed from corners and from another half cleared corner in the 15th minute the returned cross from Tom Malins was turned against the crossbar by Ashley Townsend from close range.

Moments later another corner was cleared off the line by a defender and then a good peace of skill from Townsend from a good team move saw him set up Gary Christie but he mis-kicked when well positioned from 10 yards.

Those missed chances proved costly at the time as the game went into a scrappy period and despite the visitors being ineffective when going forward they took the lead against the run of play in the 34th minutes.

A long ball from right to left was not dealt with, and the resulting unchallenged left wing cross was headed in by Lewis Field from six yards.

Deflated by the conceding of this goal Buntingford lost the control of the game with the visitors becoming more vibrant but the home side held on until the break without any other clear chances being created.

Buntingford continued to look lethargic in the opening stages of the second half as they repeatedly gave the ball away.

However, neither team looked capable of breaching each other's defence for the early periods until the visitor's Lewis Field broke clear after a defensive lapse on 56 minutes only to be thwarted by Damion Williamson's block.

Boss Paul Attfield then made a double substitution with 25 minutes remaining which helped turn the tide.

The introduction of youth players Will Turl and Coner De Lacy the intensity of the home side's passing and movement increased as they began taking a firm stranglehold on the game.

On 70 minutes Matt Turl had a great chance to equalise when he volleyed over from the edge of the box when well placed but the pressure finally paid off on 77 minutes.

Another free kick was only half cleared to the edge of the area and Jan Stephens sent a great 18-yard volley into the net giving the keeper no chance.

Buntingford keeper Damion Williamson who had relatively little to do then made the save of the game moments later when a free header from a free kick was superbly kept out at point blank range and the resulting follow up was superbly blocked by the diving legs of both Dean Chaffey and Duncan Easley.

The winning goal came from yet another cross with the couple of minutes remaining.

Malins found time and space after picking up his half cleared corner and returned the ball with interest to Turl who headed home to send Town up to second in the table

Attfield admitted to being frustrated with his side's performance: "This was a game we made terribly difficult for ourselves as we could and should have been two or three goals to the good before they scored, so to be a goal down at the interval was a blow.

In the second half we continued to lack momentum but as soon as we equalised, it galvanised all the players and then again we could and should have had three of four goals, so overall I think the points were deserved".

Burnham Ramblers 1

Buntingford Town Youth 3

TOWN face a trip to Hillingdon Borough in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup after a fine win last Thursday.

In an excellent game, the hosts started the better and created a couple of good scoring chances.

Two corners in the opening 10minutes caused Town problems with one being blocked on the line by Danny Apostolos and another half cleared corner ended with Jorden Gibson tipping over an 18 yard piledriver.

Despite this Town settled and on 14 minutes Ashley Townsend picked up a loose ball and let fly but the home keeper was equal to it and tipped over the bar at full stretch.

After losing influential midfielder Jamie Morriss to a groin injury in the 17th minute a change of formation hampered Town's game for a few minutes in which the home side took the lead on 23 minutes.

Town had plenty of opportunities to clear a long throw into the box but the ball only found its way to the edge of the area where an unmarked player drilled a shot that squirmed through the hand of Gibson and into the corner.

The visitors reacted well and equalised four minutes later when they were awarded a free kick out wide on the left and Apostolos drilled the ball inside the keeper's near post for his first goal for the club.

The rest of the half was end to end and became a little stretched but clear chances were at a premium, the best falling to Town's Luke Robins when he went on a mazy run and his vicious shot was again acrobatically tipped over.

The second half was played at a similar tempo with the home side again starting the better.

Within moments Ramblers were awarded a free kick just outside the area that Gibson did well to tip over with the ball heading towards the top corner.

This kicked Town into life and they very gradually began gaining the initiative.

On 56 minutes a fine move ended with Townsend back heeling the ball to Will Turl who smashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar from 10 yards.

Boss Paul Attfield then gambled by playing three players up front and the move paid off within moments.

In the 68th minute another fine run from Robins down the left pulled the defence all over the place and his cushioned square pass was placed wide of the keeper by Charlie Mortimer from 10 yards with his first touch of the ball.

Gibson then made a fine one on one block with his legs and Lewis Endacott headed another corner just wide before Town wrapped the game up with eight minutes remaining.

A fine passing move from defence saw Robins realeased in the left channel and as the goalkeeper approached Robins clipped his shot high over the keeper's dive with the ball dropping in the opposite top corner to seal the win.