News

UNINSPIRING PERFORMANCE - BUT ENOUGH TO SECURE TENTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE WIN

Borough women turned in a performance well below those of recent weeks but did enough in the first half to secure a 4-1  lead against visiting Hoddesdon Owls who are at the foot of the table.   Julia Carruthers and Eleftheria Taladianoy scored two each but after the interval a determined Hoddesdon side tightened up at the back and Borough never got going again. Hoddesdon deservedly pulled one back midway through the half. This 10^th consecutive League win puts Borough 4 points behind leaders Colchester Town with 2 games in hand

BOROUGH JUST EDGE GOAL-FEST

Borough returned from Leverstock Green’s excellent Pancake Lane set-up as odd goal in seven winners in a game which was entertaining and played in a fine spirit from start to finish.   Neither defence looked overly secure and right from the off it was clearly not likely to be a goal-less draw game as both teams regularly committed men forward as a matter of course. Scoring (home team first) went 1-0 1-1   1-2   2-2 (half time) 2-3   2-4   3-4.   There were but few minutes between the fourth Borough goal and Green’s third so there was never a period when the outcome looked settled.   It was a no change at the top day with all the top four winning but Borough moved a little clearer of fifth placed Tring Athletic who managed only a draw.

BOROUGH RUN RIOT AGAINST “THE CROWS”

Borough Women went some way to avenging the Men’s teams three disappointments inflicted by Royston Town this season as they went up to Garden Walk and returned with the points and a nine goal haul. The 9-1 win, their ninth consecutive League victory, lifted them to second in the table and an astonishing result which saw the leaders Colchester Town lose at home to the bottom Club Leverstock Green leaves Borough with 3 games in hand on the leaders and only 7 points behind. Colchester and Borough have yet to meet this season. The afternoons goals were shared by only three Borough players - Julia Carruthers (4), Eleftheria Taladianoy (3) and Michelle Thomas (2)

 STOPPAGE TIME DISAPPOINTMENT FOR BOROUGH

Frustration might well be defined as being caught out by a long ball out of defence with too many players upfield, despite having only a one goal lead, while attacking a team with only ten players deep into stoppage time with the ultimate outcome being a penalty conceded in a desperate attempt to stop League top scorer Ian Cooper adding to his tally. He did so anyway from the spot.   But in truth a point was probably as much as Borough deserved for they had rarely troubled Colney Heath ‘keeper Tom Blackman in a game made difficult by a strong swirling wind and a bumpy pitch.

WILL IT BE GOOD-BYE TO THE SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE FOR BOROUGH ?

The FA finally unveiled their (well leaked) proposals for re-organisation of Step 5 of the Pyramid – the main purpose said to be to reduce the number of Leagues from 14 to 12 to co-incide with the number of relegation/promotion places between Steps 4 and 5.

The Spartan South Midlands League would basically become the London North West League losing only 2 Clubs – Holmer Green and US.   They would gain Newport Pagnell Town, AFC Kempston Rovers, Enfield 1893 and Wembley.

Borough would be placed in the London North East League which is effectively the Essex Senior League (except for Enfield 1893) plus us and 7 Clubs from the Eastern Counties League (including 3 from over the Suffolk border !). Thus there would be 25 Clubs namely:

17 from Essex Senior League
Barking
Barkingside
Basildon United
Bethnal Green United
Bowers & Pitsea
Burnham Ramblers
Clapton
Eton Manor
Haringey & Waltham Development
Hullbridge Sports
London APSA
Sawbridgeworth Town
Southend Manor
Sporting Bengal United
Stansted
Takeley
Witham Town
7 from Eastern Counties League
Brantham Athletic
FC Clacton
Felixtowe & Walton United
Hadleigh United
Stanway Rovers
Wivenhoe Town
Woodbridge Town

+ US

The re-organisation would start in Season 2013/14 before which there will be two sets of promotions and relegations to cause some changes to the initial proposals which are at the discussion stage and may not even get the go-ahead.

Doubtless the good burghers of Woodbridge and Felixtowe will be astonished to learn that after centuries of believing themselves to be of sturdy East Anglian stock they are actually Londoners !!

ARSENAL'S VISIT COMES TO UNTIMELY END

When Arsenal Reserves visited Coles Park for their London Senior Womens Cup quarter final, a fine game was, sadly, ended after some 80 or minutes or so following some unsavoury incidents which led the referee to conclude it would be unwise to continue. Although forced mainly onto the defensive Borough had made some threatening breaks of their own and were by no means ready to accept the inevitable when losing only by 2-0 to a goal in each half. The London FA Cup Committee will consider whether the match should be re-played

ON 10th FEBRUARY THE LONDON FA ADVISED THAT BOTH CLUBS HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE COMPETITION

FIRST HALF SHOWING ENOUGH TO SECURE THE POINTS

A Borough side with many enforced changes from the side which had performed so well at Biggleswade United last Tuesday did enough in the first half to secure a 2-0 lead with Chris Benjamin scoring both goals.   Fine chances to make the game safe were missed and it was only a lack of a cutting edge to finish their determined approach play which left Hertford empty handed after a second half which they had dominated after stepping up the pressure right from the whistle.   Borough’s re-vamped defence sometimes struggled to keep them at bay but, assisted by a post and a fine save from ‘keeper Ryohei Tamai which avoided a nervous last fifteen minutes, they maintained the clean sheet.

FENTON FIRES BOROUGH INTO

SEMI-FINAL

Dean Fenton, not previously an occupant of the strikers position, bagged 5 goals as Borough swept past Biggleswade United on their superb Second Meadow playing surface by a 6-1 margin in their League Challenge Trophy quarter final.   Richard Worrell was the other Borough marksm and even the Biggleswade consolation came from a player juist released by Borough, Emmanuel Jonjo. In the semi-final Borough will entertain  Leverstock Green.   The other semi final will be between Tring Athletic and Hillingdon Borough