Bishop’s Stortford 1-0 Darlington Match Report

Bishop’s Stortford 1-0 Darlington Match Report 9/9/23

Vanarama National League North

Hamish Arnold

Darlington remain rooted to the bottom of the Vanarama National League North as Bishop’s picked another three points at the RDA Stadium. Darren Foxley scored the only goal of the game, as the Blues won their third match at home in five attempts. All three victories of the campaign have come in Hertfordshire with just one point obtained on the road.

Ben Liddle had the first shot of the match, arriving to strike Jacob Hazel’s lay-off from the edge of the box, but fired over the bar. Ryan Charles’ right wing cross for Tom Derry was too high for the forward in the middle and went out for a goal kick. Will Hatfield made a late run into the box and picked up a left wing cut back, but Jack Thomas recovered well and intercepted the pass. Luton Town loanee Tobias Braney nearly picked up a debut goal, when Charles’ left wing cross was headed back to Tommy Taylor in goal, but the defender left it slightly short, Braney was on hand for a mistake but Taylor dived on the loose ball. Darren Foxley crossed the ball in from the right but it went to the opposite winger in Charles, he side-footed from the goal line to Derry, who went down under a challenge from Taylor, Charles shot low and hit the base of the right post, the deflection went to Foxley who took a touch and slotted home into the bottom right corner. The Blues struggled to push on after scoring first on Tuesday, eventually losing 1-4 to Rushall Olympic, but there was a chance for Derry with a header from a Foxley corner, but he couldn’t find the target. Ollie Peters was denied from a long range strike from a flying block by Kallum Griffiths. But on the stroke of half-time, the Quakers had a great chance to go in at 1-1, when Finlay Barnes arrived to meet Andrew Nelson’s cross, but he headed over the bar form six yards.

HT 1-0

Just as the first half end, the second half began with a huge chance to equalise, Nelson struck from the right side of the box towards the left side of the goal, Jack Giddens tipped the powerful strike onto the crossbar and Barnes failed to convert the rebound from close range with superb reflexes from the goalkeeper again to preserve his clean sheet. Liddle made a run from midfield into the box and received the ball from a through ball but his attempted chip landed on the roof of the net. Tosin Olufemi denied Nelson’s strike from 20 yards, before substitute Ola Ogunwamide laid the ball back to Peters at the other end but he curled over the bar. Griffiths headed narrowly wide of the goal at the far post from Jassem Sukar’s left wing cross in the 89th minute, and Stortford saw out injury time to seal the three points.

FT 1-0

TEAMS

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Jack Giddens

2 Mark Haines

3 Aaron Powell

4 Jack Thomas (Howard 80’)

6 Ryan Henshaw (c)

8 Tobias Braney (Ogunwamide 56’)

9 Tom Derry

10 Darren Foxley (Goal 28’)

11 Tosin Olufemi

15 Ryan Charles (Assist 28’) (Greene 66’)

18 Ollie Peters

Subs

7 Ola Ogunwamide

12 George Sykes

14 Rob Howard

17 Aaron Greene

19 Billy Cracknell

Darlington XI

1 Tommy Taylor

3 Jassem Sukar

4 Tom Platt (c)

5 Toby Lees

8 Ben Liddle (Felix 60’)

9 Jacob Hazel (Salkeld 72’)

11 Andrew Nelson

14 Will Hatfield

17 Finlay Barnes

23 Jordan Mustoe (Yellow card 70’) (Moke 82’)

26 Kallum Griffiths

Subs

7 Kaine Felix

10 Adriano Moke

21 Jarrett Rivers

22 Jordan Windass

24 Cameron Salkeld

Attendance 585