Bedgrove Dynamos (22/05/2005)
2004 - 2005 Season, Hithercroft Youth



The weather was overcast and windy for this important game at Meadowcroft and showers fell throughout but with occasional dry spells. Pam Ife ran the line for Hithercroft for the first half and Brian Lewis took over the duties for the second. Steve Ashall ran the line for Bedgrove Dynamos and the referee was Mr Paul O’Hare.

Hithercroft were a little late in arriving owing to lack of transport and so the kick-off was delayed until 2.10pm. Just 2 minutes from the kick-off Mark Sunderland came down the middle and hammered the ball past Simon Mines to put Bedgrove 1-0 ahead. After 15 minutes of play Jamaine Warner played the ball forward to Baz David who sent the ball out right to Paul Morgan, the Hithercroft captain. Paul hit a shot that went across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick as the rain began to fall. Hithercroft took a number of corner kicks but failed to make any of them count, most of them being played too long with no players having positioned themselves on the far side to send the ball back in. However, in the 26th minute Tyrone Francis took a corner on the right and sent in a nicely weighted ball for Baz to get his head to. Bedgrove pushed the ball clear but it was gathered by Tyrone who sent the ball back in again to Baz who this time headed the ball past Ashley Jenkins to level the score. Eleven minutes later Baz took a throw-in from just short of the right-hand corner flag and Dan Birch sent the ball into the middle from where Tyrone turned on the edge of the 18-yard box and hooked the ball into the Bedgrove net to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. The rain continued throughout the remainder of the first half as the ball went from end-to-end but there was no change in the scoreline when the whistle that ended the first half was blown.

The game restarted at 3.01pm and, after a short period, the rain stopped temporarily and the weather brightened up. Play continued from end to end for the first 15 minutes without result until Toby Cresswell played the ball forward to Frank Blacher. As he approached the Hithercroft goal, tempting the keeper to come forward, Frank pushed the ball past him into the net to level the score at 2-2. The rain returned and increased in intensity and Ian Chiarello came on to replace Bedgrove’s Rhys Ashall. Three minutes later Frank came close to putting the Dynamos ahead, his shot being tipped over the crossbar by the leaping Simon Mines. Then Hithercroft came close when Tyrone sent the ball to Paul Morgan, who was positioned in the middle, and Paul lifted the ball over keeper Ashley Jenkins’ head as he came forward. However, the ball’s progress into the net was only prevented when a defender managed to get across and push it out for a corner. In the 87th minute Bedgrove’s Steve Moore threw the ball in to Frank who played it across the goal, Mark Sunderland getting his foot to it and sending it into the back of the net to give his team a 3-2 lead. Although an extra three minutes were added on by the referee Hithercroft were unable to respond and so Bedgrove Dynamos emerged as winners, having exactly reversed the scoreline when they had played Hithercroft two weeks earlier.

This game had been as exciting to watch as the previous game between these two teams. Hithercroft, when they had taken the lead at 2-1, appeared content to sit back and try to preserve it but all credit should go to the Dynamos who showed a lot of commitment and good passing moves before eventually being rewarded. Joe Chapman had played extremely well in defence and Aran Harthill had impressed, racing back and forth down the wing. Ashley Jenkins had performed well in goal and was awarded Bedgrove’s Man-of-the-Match. This defeat has meant that Chesham Rangers are now runners-up in Division 2 but Hithercroft still have a chance to end up in third place.


Hithercroft's M.O.M: Alan McKie

Bedgrove's M.O.M: Ashley Jenkins

Hithercroft scorers:-
Baz David (26 mins) and Tyrone Francis (37 mins)

Bedgrove Dynamos scorers:-
Mark Sunderland (2 mins and 86 mins) and Frank Blacher (60 mins)

Hithercroft team:-
Simon Mines, Dan Birch, Baz David, Paul Morgan, Peter Morgan, Ben Steele, Mark Sadler, Richard Vere, Jamaine Warner, Alan McKie and Tyrone Francis.

Bedgrove Dynamos team:-
From Rhys Ashall, Taran Ashall, Frank Blacher, Toby Cresswell, Khalid Farah, Steve Moore, Mark Sunderland, Joe Chapman, Aran Harthill, Luke Goodin and Ashley Jenkins.
Used sub: Ian Chiarello.