Bishop’s Stortford 2-0 Royston Town Match Report
Bishop’s Stortford 2-0 Royston Town Match Report
25/8/25
Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division
Hamish Arnold
Luka Chalwell scored a brace as Bishop’s Stortford won the Hertfordshire derby on Bank Holiday Monday at Woodside Park against Royston Town. The Blues maintained their 100% winning start to the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division campaign – the only team with maximum points so far – and are two points clear at the top of the table.
Saleem Akanbi controlled Cole Dasilva’s through ball by cushioning the ball around the defender, on the right side of the box his shot was parried by Jamie Head. Royston went close through Kian Harness and Joshua Frederick with shots inside the six yard box from a long throw-in, but they were blocked before Brad Russell cleared. Rio Christopher Deall volleys wide from Luke Warner-Eley’s left wing free kick, but the flag was up for offside as the cross came in. Obi Onyeagwara cut in off the left wing and shot at goal from the edge of the box, it looped off a defender’s leg into the path of Chalwell, who poked goalwards, Head parried the first shot but Chalwell reacted quickest for a second attempt and found the back of the net. Chalwell could have doubled the lead just four minutes later. When Onyeagwara picked out Russell on the edge of the box, his low shot was dragged wide but it fell kindly to Chalwell, but he failed to make contact with the ball and it went out for a goal kick. Dasilva crossed from the right to the far post, it was headed half clear, Chalwell brought it under control and volleyed on the turn but the shot was blocked and cleared. Jaden Ogwuazor conceded a penalty when he fouled Deall as he attempted to reach a left wing cross, Josh Boorn stepped up but saw his spot kick saved when Adam Hayton dived low to keep the ball out of the bottom right corner. Dasilva’s floated cross in from the right bounced over the head of Akanbi, he outmuscled the defender to reach the ball but his looping header was saved by Head who backtracked to catch the ball. Jack Thomas’ dangerous cross from the right missed all the defenders, but Boorn failed to hit the target from a central position, firing over the bar.
HT 1-0
Akanbi glanced a header wide from a left wing cross, before Boorn saw his low shot from a right wing cut back deflected off Jake Thomspon into Hayton’s arms. Adam Murray won a header in competition with Thompson from a floated left wing corner, but Hayton claimed the high ball. Murray fouled Akanbi as the Blues went forward, and Dasilva curled the 20 yard free kick narrowly over the bar. Dasilva’s long diagonal pass was headed goalwards by Harry Forde in space in the left side of the box, his header hit the crossbar and rebounded to Chalwell who nodded home from close range for his second of the afternoon. Substitute Edu Toiny-Pendred fizzed in a low cross from the right but Hayton claimed the ball before it could reach a Royston player. Deall picked up the ball from a right wing cross and brought it under control, but the shot was saved, before Anton Mathews fired high and wide with a wayward shot from 25 yards.
FT 2-0
TEAMS
Bishop’s Stortford XI
1 Adam HAYTON
3 Leon DAVIES (Lethbridge 90+2’)
5 Jake THOMPSON (c)
7 Obi ONYEAGWARA (Assist 22’) (Evans 46’)
10 Brad RUSSELL
12 Fabio VIRCIGLIO (Melvin-Lambert 56’)
14 Jack SMITH
16 Jaden OGWUAZOR (Yellow card 40’) (Haines 75’)
18 Cole DASILVA
19 Saleem AKANBI (Forde 68’)
20 Luka CHALWELL (Goal 22’ 72’)
Subs
2 Tommy LETHBRIDGE
6 Mark HAINES
9 Nahum MELVIN-LAMBERT
15 Harry FORDE (Assist 72’)
17 Presley EVANS
Royston Town XI
22 Jamie HEAD
3 James BRIGHTON
4 Jack THOMAS (c)
5 Adam MURRAY (Matthews 75’)
6 Archie LOCKE (Akubuine 81’)
9 Kian HARNESS (Toiny-Pendred 62’)
14 Luke WARNER-ELEY
16 Joshua FREDERICK
19 Josh BOORN (Chentouf 81’)
21 Thomas AVGOUSTIDIS
24 Rio Christopher DEALL
Subs
1 Reuben RABSTEIN
10 Jesse AKUBUINE
12 Anton MATTHEWS
17 Edu TOINY-PENDRED
23 Youssef CHENTOUF
Attendance 674