Date | Tuesday 17 August 2010 |
Match | Royston Town v Hertford Town |
Competition | Spartan South Midlands League: Premier Division |
Result | Won 4-1 |
Royston Scorers | Lockett, Malins (2), Robins |
Man of Match | Tommy Malins |
Attendance | 148 |
Royston convincingly beat Hertford Town on Tuesday evening in what turned out to be their best team performance of the season so far.
After Saturday’s disappointing FA Cup exit the team looked intent on repairing some damage with Paul Attfield reinstating Tom Malins and captain Ross Collins back into the starting line up that was otherwise unchanged.
The Crows had decent control of the first half and always looked threatening going forward. The revitalised Luke Robins and Ryan Lockett were prominent in much of the good forward play and the two combined to give the home side an early lead when Robins powerfully headed in Lockett’s corner from ten yards.
Hertford got their only goal from pretty much their only chance of the evening form a corner of their own soon after. Keeper Jorden Gibson spilled a regulation take and from the goalmouth melee Owen Beale rammed home the loose ball from eight yards.
Royston continued to control the game without being breathtaking in possession of the ball. They did create chances at regular intervals with George Brinkman and Tom Malins both just failing to connect with Robin’s crosses and the same two players brought fine saves from the Hertford keeper leading up to half time.
They did however take the lead just before the break when Brinkman and Lockett combined superbly to lay on the chance for Malins to shoot home from 12 yards.
Whilst Royston largely controlled the first half they pretty much battered their opponents in the second with large spells of swift attacking football that Hertford had no answer to.
Within six second half minutes Royston had doubled their goal tally. Firstly Robins and Lockett combined down the left to set up Tom Malins to crash a twenty yard effort in via the post and less than two minutes later Ryan Lockett scorched an 18 yard effort into the top right corner as he ran onto Luke Robin’s back heel.
Hertford offered little going forward and seemed content on damage limitation as both Robins and Ross Collins went narrowly off target and a number of other chances were blocked by the assortment of blue shirts packing the visiting penalty area.
There never looked ay danger of Hertford getting back into the game as they looked a well beaten side. Royston looked a little tired, quite rightly from their efforts in the last ten minutes as the speed and quality dropped a few degrees but in the end an excellent three points to maintain a 100% winning start to the season
Team – Gibson Endacott (Grinham) McElvoy Mulvaney McDevitt Collins Edwards Malins Brinkman (Young) Lockett Robins (Bronti) – Unused : De Lacy, Turl