A goal in each half from Ben Worman saw Blues dent high-flying Haringey’s play-off hopes, on Saturday.
It took the 17-year-old’s tally to seven in 11 games since joining on loan from Cambridge United. The Blues squad showed a few changes with Jamie Cureton returning to the starting eleven along with Ben Sampayo. Also in the squad was new loanee from Leyton Orient, 17 year-old Shadrach Ogie, who was to quickly join the action and give a very impressive performance on the left side of the Blues defence.
In very gusty conditions this was scrappy tussle at times although the hosts always had the edge against second placed Borough as they collected their first league win since early February to move up to 12th in the Bostik Premier table. Both sides lost a player through injury in the first 20 minutes with Sampayo having to be substituted and replaced by Ogie and Haringey’s Lionel Stone also left the field injured.
A number of early Stortford attacks came to nothing as they were thwarted by Borough’s offside trap.
Striker Kudus Oyenuga went close for the North Londoners in the 14th minute before Luke Callander struck the bar for the Blues with a free-kick from 20 yards after George Craddock had been fouled. Former Blue Joel Nouble almost got through on the left following an error by Johnville Renee just after the half-hour, before Callander missed a good chance scuffing a shot from close range straight at stopper Valery Pajetat following a good move on the right involving Worman, Jamie Cureton and Alfie Mason.
But four minutes before the break Worman collected the ball just outside the box after Nouble last possession and beat keeper Pajetat with a low left footed effort inside a post. After the break Jack Thomas made a good block at the near post to stop Georgios Aresti after a strong run whilst keeper Arthur Janata saved well for a corner in the 62nd minute following Oyenuga cutting inside and shooting from the right.
Dimitri Froxylias had a goal disallowed for offside for the visitors in the 67th minute and five minutes later Worman picked up a pass from Cureton on the left flank and fired an absolute screamer from long range over Pajetat and into the far corner to double the lead.
Craddock almost extended the Blues lead in the 78th minute with a shot close past an upright whilst at the other end Borough substitute Coby Rowe was close with both a shot and header with Oyenuga also hitting a post after a solo run in the last ten minutes. However, with skipper Sam Robbins and Ryan Henshaw outstanding in the centre of defence Stortford held on to take a deserved three points and keep a clean sheet. STORTFORD: Arthur Janata; Johnville Renee; Ben Sampayo (Shadrach Ogie 14); Jack Thomas; Sam Robbins; Ryan Henshaw; Ben Worman; George Craddock; Jamie Cureton; Luke Callander (Olly Miles 76); Alfie Mason (Alex Warman 68). Unused substitutes: Isaac Nkosi and Haaroon Belaid.
HARINGEY BOROUGH: Valery Pajetat; David Olufemi; Michael O’Donoghue; Rakim Richards; Mark Kirby; Lionel Stone (Joseph Staunton 19); Charley Barker (Coby Rowe 72); Georgios Aresti (Femi Akinwande 66); Kudus Oyenuga; Dimitri Foxylias; Joel Nouble.
Unused substitutes: Jorge Djassi-Sambu and Scott Mitchell.
Referee: Michael Robertson-Tant
Attendance: 347
