Newbury Forest 2-3 Hoddesdon Town

Redbridge FC Oakside Stadium

Hoddesdon Town secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Newbury Forest in a pulsating encounter at the Redbridge FC ground. A debut brace from new signing Stuart Zanone helped Hoddesdon edge out a spirited Newbury Forest side, despite some shaky moments.

First Half: A Lightning Start and End-to-End Chaos

The game began in dramatic fashion, with Hoddesdon taking the lead within the first 30 seconds. Arnis Lala delivered a low cross from the right, finding Zanone, whose initial effort was saved at point-blank range by the Newbury keeper. However, Bailey Eden was on hand to tap in the rebound and give Hoddesdon a dream start, without even a minute on the clock! 0-1.

Just minutes later, Ben Clarke almost doubled Hoddesdon’s lead, curling a shot narrowly wide after being sent clear on the left. But the early dominance was soon challenged, as Newbury Forest burst forward in a frantic attack, forcing a smart low save from Hoddesdon's debutant keeper Ethan Gannon.

The high tempo continued, and in the 6th minute, a defensive mix-up allowed Deivid Sertveitis to equalize for Newbury Forest, poking the ball into an empty net. 1-1.

Hoddesdon responded quickly, and it was Stuart Zanone, making his first start for the club, who restored their lead in the 13th minute. After rounding the keeper, Zanone struck the post from a tight angle but coolly converted the rebound to make it 1-2.

Despite Hoddesdon’s lead, their performance lacked fluidity, giving Newbury Forest encouragement. On 27 minutes, Kai Peters punished Hoddesdon with a stunning strike, arrowing a long-range drive from the left beyond Gannon to level the game again at 2-2.

Hoddesdon thought they had gone ahead again before half-time when Zanone had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for offside. The whistle blew after a frenetic first half with the scoreline locked at 2-2.

Second Half: Cagey Affair, Zanone’s Heroics Win It Late

The second half couldn’t match the chaos of the first 45 minutes, with neither team able to gain a foothold or create many clear-cut chances. Hoddesdon, however, began to press more as the game wore on. Blue Gallagher was booked in the 79th minute for a tough challenge, a decision met with protest from the Hoddesdon players.

Just a minute later, the breakthrough finally came. Hoddesdon launched a long ball forward, and Stuart Zanone latched onto it. The striker looked like he was running out of space, but from a tight angle, he turned and slid the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-3, scoring his second of the day and sealing a remarkable debut performance.

In the 88th minute, Hoddesdon made a flurry of substitutions to see out the game, with Zanone, Eden, and Krutko all coming off to be replaced by Jimmy Agnew, Sid Barker, and Samuel Cross. Connor Bolton had also come on earlier for Ben Clarke, and Callum Bennison replaced Arnis Lala.

Despite late pressure from Newbury Forest, Hoddesdon held on for a hard-fought victory, with midfielder George Hamill putting in a man-of-the-match display to ensure they left with all three points.

Full Time: Newbury Forest 2-3 Hoddesdon Town

In a match often played at breakneck speed, Hoddesdon's resilience and Zanone's heroics made all the difference. The win lifts Hoddesdon Town into 8th place, just two points off the playoff places. New signing Zanone showed just why manager Simon Riddle decided to sign him, grabbing the goals needed to wrap up the points, and taking him to 17 goals in 14 games this season, to head up the Golden Boot table.

Hoddesdon have a small break now with no midweek fixture scheduled and the game next Saturday at home to Burnham Ramblers postponed, due to the ongoing electrical works taking place at Lowfield. However, manager Simon Riddle will be looking to arrange one or two friendlies in the meantime, to keep the squad ticking over.