Bishop's Stortford v Eastleigh
1ST TEAM MATCH REPORTS
Bishop's Stortford v Eastleigh
TUESDAY 8th DECEMBER 2009
BLUE SQUARE SOUTH
With Eastleigh's recent lack of punch in front of goal, the story of this match was the same as the recent games but a deflected shot from Anthony Riviere was enough to give Eastleigh a deserved three points at Bishop's Stortford.
With the scheduled game against Weston-super-Mare having been postponed the previous Saturday, Steve Cook's one match suspension for his dismissal against Lewes was carried over to this fixture which meant the side was that would have played in the Weston fixture with Danny Smith reverting to a right back role, two wingers in Shaun McAuley and Tony Taggart, Peter Adeniyi and Riviere in central midfield roles and Andy Forbes partnering Jamie Brown in the strikers department. Jason Matthews returned in goal to replace the seemingly Wycombe Wanderers bound Steve Arnold.
The first chance on goal of the evening fell to the home side on seven minutes when Hassan Sulaiman's cross was collected by Charlie Sheringham, with his father Teddy in the crowd, but the striker still the subject of a transfer fee being agreed following a summer move to Stortford from Welling United, lofted his effort above Matthews but against the bar. A minute later Tom Champion headed over from Louis Riddle's corner.
There was little goalmouth action to follow until the thirty second minute Ben Nunn shot wide with a low drive from thirty yards after Riddles free kick had been half cleared. Three minutes later Taggart headed over a McAuley cross. On thirty-eight minutes Taggart was the provider of the cross but Brown this time headed over.
Eastleigh finished the first half the strongest with Forbes and Taggart having had close efforts and Brown having a shot saved by Stortford goalkeeper Nicky Eyre.
HALF TIME: Bishop's Stortford 0 Eastleigh 0
Taggart's scissor kick was just off target on fifty-one minutes but four minutes later Eastleigh had their luck to remain on level terms. Sulaiman's cross from the right found Sheringham at the far post where his low shot was pushed down by Matthews but Smith made a telling clearance to prevent the ball crossing the line, Matthews claiming the ball before any Stortford player could meet the loose ball.
On sixty-seven minutes Taggart's quick thinking free kick had Eyre scurrying across his goal to scramble the ball away. Eastleigh scored the only goal of the game in the seventy-seventh minute. Smiths throw on the left flank into Brown who laid the ball off for Adeniyi who lofted the ball into the area for Tom Jordan to direct the ball down by his chest which a Stortford defender only managed to loft the ball back in the air. This was won back by the aerial Gillespie towards Forbes, who cushioned his header into the path of RIVIERE who's shot, going to the right of the diving Eyre, struck Riddle and bounced back in the opposite direction into the net.
Gillespie had a back header from Poate's cross was saved by Eyre on eighty-one minutes whilst the closest that Stortford came to grabbing an equaliser was two minutes later but Glenn Southams effort was too weak to trouble Matthews.
FULL TIME: Bishop's Stortford 0 Eastleigh 1
RAY MURPHY
