Our positive start to the season hit a bump in the road against a strong Arlesey Town team who narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season and are one of the form teams in the Premier Division having gone 13 games unbeaten since March 2025 up to the present time. We knew we faced a difficult task but we didn’t help ourselves by gifting our opponents two goals in the first half. We faced a mammoth task after the break but the lads rose to the occasion to dominate the game and create some great chances which unfortunately we were unable to take although credit must go to Arlesey’s keeper Ollie Skinner who was superb and produced a string of great saves.

The game swung into action with only 30 seconds gone when Max Hercules and then Ed Daffern were fouled just outside the opposition’s area by the keeper and then a defender following a through ball from Jack Harvey which seemed to cause chaos in the away defence. Unfortunately we were unable to take advantage from the free kick.

During the early stages the game was scrappy and tetchy with the referee showing yellow cards to players from both sides but in the 16th minute our opponents got their noses in front when we failed to clear a hopeful ball played forward and the opposition centre forward Jordan Brown took advantage to fire in a shot which Josh Ameganvi saved but Alie Bangura was able to get to the loose ball first and stab it home from close range. It was a poor goal to give away and made life a lot tougher for us. Score 0-1.

Our opponents went close to doubling their lead 12 minutes later when following a long throw Jack Harvey managed to clear the ball off the line but the ball fell to Jordan Brown who fired over from close range. We were not playing to our usual standard but on the half hour mark Frankie Hercules picked out Josh Chamberlain with a fine pass and from around 25 yards Josh cracked a terrific shot with his lethal left foot which the keeper did well to tip over the bar. Encouraged by this effort we put together the best move of the game which started from a free kick in our own half and ended with Finn Rolfe whipping over a terrific cross which Max Hercules flicked on at the near post forcing an instinctive save from the keeper who then quickly recovered to grab a follow up header from Jack Harvey.

With normal time up we committed the cardinal sin of conceding another goal to give ourselves a mountain to climb in the 2nd half. Again it stemmed from a defensive error when we failed to properly clear a cross into our area and Arlesey’s leading scorer Erza Forde took advtange to slam the ball home. HT Score 0-2.

We did raise our game in the second half and we looked like our old selves but with our opponents’ content to sit deep and defend we had a tough task ahead. Following a corner in the 55th minute Ed Daffren fired a super shot cum cross across the area which was crying out for a touch then following a period of good possession Blake Argent curled a lovely shot that went just over the bar. We were enjoying a lot of possession and territory and following a fine move down the right Blake Argent fired across a dangerous cross from the right which Bailey Osborne got a touch to forcing the keeper into another great save with a defender clearing the ball before we could seize on it.

We were piling on the pressure and in the 82nd minute a corner was cleared to Dylan Fitzpatrick who knocked over a super cross to the far post where Eli Hearn’s header was kept out by the keeper’s knee. We still kept going and in the 6th minute of added time Dylan’s cross was punched clear by the keeper who then quickly recovered to tip away a goal bound shot from Jack Harvey. That was the last action and Arlesey ran out 2-0 winners. FT Score 0-2.

A disappointing and frustrating result but the players gave everything after a poor first half and on another day we would have put away some of those second half chances. Not the end of the world and there is still a long way to go. The result means we drop from 1st to 7th with Sawbridgeworth Town now top and the only team with a perfect record after only 3 games.

We have a tough away game on Tuesday at Dunstable Town and then on Saturday we travel to Essex to play Witham Town in the FA Cup – hopefully we will have some of our key players back for these two games. We have a coach going to Witham so take a look at the Social Media to book a seat.

The Sponsors Man of the Match was awarded to Bailey Osborne.

TEAMS:
A: Josh Ameganvi, Eli Hearn, Greg Deer (Harry Beaumont 65), Frankie Hercules, Luke Peerless (Blake Argent 50), Max Hercules, Jack Harvey (Capt), Josh Chamberlain (Bailey Osborne 55), Edwin Daffern (Lee Stobbs 84), Finn Rolfe (Dylan Fitzpatrick 60), Mason Clarke.

AT: 1 Ollie Skinner, 2 Lamin Bangura, 4 Colin Mugoya-Tabingwa, 5 Michael Donkor, 6 Andrew Osei-Bonsu, 7 Taylor Keeley, 8 Jamie Fulton, 9 Jordan Brown, 10 Ezra Forde, 11 Alie Bangura, 20 Joe Sellers-West. Subs 12 Ronnie Ward, 14 Fahad Hussaini, 15 AJ Harrison, 16 Scott Belgrove, 18 Tommy Cooney.

Scorers:

TA: -

AT: Alie Bangura (16), Ezra Forde (45)

Sponsors Man of Match: Bailey Osborne

Crowd: 151