The A1170 Derby ended with honours even as Hoddesdon Town and St. Margaretsbury battled to a 1-1 draw. Hoddesdon enjoyed the lion's share of possession, but St. Margaretsbury's grit and determination restricted the home side to limited clear-cut chances.

Expectations were high from both sides as a bumper crowd was in attendance with an excellent atmosphere around Lowfield.

St. Margaretsbury seized every opportunity to counter-attack quickly, requiring steady concentration from Jack Gibbs and man-of-the-match Reece Barnett, who both made crucial challenges to keep their team in the game. While Hoddesdon looked in control for long periods, St. Margaretsbury did not look like as a side languishing at the bottom of the table. With chances at a premium for both sides, the first half concluded goalless.

After the break, St. Margaretsbury punished Hoddesdon's lack of cutting edge with an emphatic finish from the in-form Elijah Grant on 53 minutes. Hoddesdon responded by bringing on Callum Bennison after 70 minutes to add a more direct approach, providing an excellent outlet for the side. The committed crowd at Lowfield grew louder as the anticipation of a home goal increased.

However, after 80 minutes, Hoddesdon goalkeeper Ethan Gannon picked up a knock and signalled that he could not continue. Luckily, Liam Nugent, who was himself recovering from injury, was fit enough to be on the bench and took to the field for the final part of the game. Bailey Collins, Ben Clarke, and Jack Riddle joined him as The Lilywhites went all out for an equaliser.

As the home side edged closer, winning corners and dangerous free kicks, St. Margaretsbury created three excellent chances to put the game beyond reach. However, they were thwarted by Nugent, who showed no rustiness from his time on the sidelines, pulling off three excellent saves to keep his side in the game. One particular highlight was when he stayed big to block a one-on-one chance that everyone in the crowd thought would seal the game.

In the dying moments, on 90+6 minutes, with time running out, the ball was sent in from the left and bounced on the edge of the area. Bailey Eden shook off his marker and met it with his right foot, sending a low finish into the bottom left corner, sparking wild celebrations among the home fans. You can see that goal here.
The Hoddesdon pressure deserved something from the game, but this was a well-contested derby where both sides will feel they could have won it.

It was wonderful to see so many from the town in attendance for the game and joining us in the clubhouse afterwards. We are away next week against FC Baresi, but it's not too far to travel (Wodson Park in Ware), so do come and cheer on the lads.

Come on, you Lilywhites!

Gannon (Nugent 80) - Agnew (Riddle 80) - Evans (Collins 80) - Barnett - Gibbs (c) - Brown - Gallagher - Hamill (Clarke 80) - Lala (Bennison 70) - Eden - Carter