Cannons Firing Blanks As Lilywhites Beat Wood

Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Division One South

Cannons Wood 1 (0) Hoddesdon Town 2 (2)
(34' OG, 39' Bolton)

The Lilywhites moved further away from the wrong end of the table when they picked up all three points at Aveley FC’s Parkside Stadium, the home of their opponents, Cannons Wood. For the most part it was the Lilywhites that had the upper hand in this match but they found themselves hanging on at the end when the hosts pulled a goal back with seven minutes remaining.

The victory brought the Lilywhites’ points tally to eleven from their past five games with three wins & two draws, with three of those games away from home. Hoddesdon have now taken 4 points this season against Cannons Wood, defying the league table and their respective budgets.

The Lilywhites started brightly and came very close to opening the scoring only eight minutes in. Connor Bolton played a long ball from the left out to Conor Casey on the right flank. He took his defender on, beat him and hit a low ball across the face of the goal where Connor Bolton narrowly failed to get a decisive touch.

The hosts were finding it difficult to find a way through a resolute Lilywhites defence but they there was always a danger that their long balls forward would find their fast-moving number nine. In the 19th minute Conor Casey went close when he volleyed wide with a bicycle kick and then the same player shot just wide on the half-hour mark.

A goal for the Lilywhites was looking very likely and it arrived in the 34th minute, with a great passing move that resulted in George Rankin pulling the ball across the goal from the right-hand bye-line where it was deflected into the goal by a lunging Cannons Wood defender.

The Lilywhites were looking increasingly dangerous and after Jack Riddle had hit the bar with a header from a Bolton free-kick in the 39th minute, Connor Bolton struck another free-kick into the top corner of the goal from 25 yards, only a minute later. Unfortunately we didn't manage to catch it on camera and Cannons Wood chairman, Liam Goodenough, aka shouty histrionic social media performer 'DT', commented after the game that he did have it on video but deleted it when asked for a copy, so it must have been an absolute peach!!

Seven minutes into the second half, Kyle Roberts was put in on goal in the inside-left channel and nicked the ball past the advancing keeper only to see it hit the inside of the hear post. Bailey Eden followed up but he was beaten as a defender got back to clear off the line.

The game looked to be heading for a comfortable away win until the hosts halved the deficit with a shot from the edge of the area that was deflected past the diving Liam Nugent. This breathed new life into the Wood but their tempers spilled over and, with five minutes of normal time remaining, they had a man sent off for an two footed horror challenge and two men sin-binned soon after for being unable to control their tempers and language. Ultimately, that lack of discipline cost the hosts because ironically, despite being reduced to eight men they enjoyed their best spell of the game and finished it putting the Lilywhites under pressure. You have to wonder whether or not this clearly talented side will ultimately finish outside of the promotion places due to their inability to measure their behaviour, both on and off the pitch. They couldn’t find an equaliser, though, and the Lilywhites ran out deserved winners to condemn Cannons Wood to another winless game against Hoddesdon.

After the game, the official Cannons Wood Twitter account tweeted "...enjoy your win and good luck with the relegation battle..." to put an exclamation mark at the end of an eventful and extremely satisfying afternoon.

Man-of-the Match: Jack Gibbs

Team: Liam Nugent, Nazarii Krutko, Hadley Richards (Jimmy Agnew 49’), Jack Riddle, Jack Gibbs, Bailey Eden (Sam Cross 79’), Conor Casey (Harrison Cage 46’), George Rankin, Kyle Roberts (Dion Laughton 70’), Blue Gallagher & Conor Bolton (George Smith 79’).

Unused subs: Syd Barker & Dan Acquaye