Bishop's Stortford 1-2 Brackley Town - Vanarama National League North - Tuesday 23rd January 2024

On a very blustery and wet mid January evening the Saints won a hard fought battle against a well organised and spirited side currently situated at the bottom of the table.

Even though their league position suggests that Bishop’s Stortford are struggling this season, as always in National League North they proved tough opposition as both sides struggled early on with the conditions.

In a first half hour where passes went astray and headers were missed due to the heavy wind conditions, neither side could find a final pass to unlock an opening goal.
The only chance in the first half hour landed to Connor Hall on 5 minutes who glanced narrowly wide from a Cosmos Matwasa cross.

Then on 37 minutes Connor Hall broke away down the right hand side and put over a fantastic cross that Morgan Roberts met with a sliding left foot half volley to open the scoring for the Saints.

It was Roberts again in the 40th minute who was denied after making a chance for himself only to be denied by a great challenge to stop Brackley extending their lead.

Right on half time a lofted pass forward for Bishop’s Stortford was lifted by the swirling wind and found Aaron Greene on the left he moved forward onto the left hand edge of the area and curled a shot into the far corner to level the scores.

Alex Gudger left the pitch at half time to be replaced by Zak Lilly, after a first half challenge by Ryan Charles that many felt was deserving of a red card but only received a yellow.

Brackley started the second half in positive mind-frame and forced a number of corners and put the home goal under pressure with wave of attacks but it was the home side who came closest to taking the lead as a scramble in the box was defended by Lilly using his head to defend a goal-bound shot whilst on the floor from a previous block.

Morgan Roberts saw a powerful goal-bound effort pushed around the post on 77 minutes, and this opened the door for Brackley to regain control on 78 minutes as Roberts took the resulting corner and Tommy O’Sullivan smashed home the winner from the edge of the area after penalty appeals were turned down for what looked a foul on Tyler Lyttle who was pulled back as her looked to shoot.

The Saints then had a further chance as James Armson went through one on one but put his shot wide.

It is 5 wins in a row for Brackley and positions them nicely in the play-offs as the travel to Buxton in their game.

Brackley Town : Lewis, Calder, Lyttle, Matwasa (Carline), Dean, Gudger (Lilly), Murombedzi, O’Sullivan, Roberts (Armson), Newton, Hall Subs not used: Turner, Bates.

Attendance: 202

PIC: By Nathan Cracknell (Bishop's Stortford)