Royston Town 2-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

Royston Town 2-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report 27/12/25

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Joe Iaciofano scored a brace as Royston Town won the Hertfordshire derby at Garden Walk against Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday, with the Crows lifting themselves off the bottom of the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division table. The Blues stay 12th, eight points from the Play-Offs and 10 points above the relegation zone.

From a throw-in on the right wing, the hosts failed to clear with Brad Russell eventually shooting over the bar from 25 yards. Thomas Avgousitidis fired in a low cross from the right but Jake Thompson cut it out before Iaciofano could  shoot. Adam Murray dribbled forward from defence and shot from long range, Mark Haines stuck his leg out to block but deflected it into the path of Iaciofano who volleyed first-time from the left side of the box into the far side of the net. He could have doubled up five minutes later but was flagged offside as he latched onto a through ball. Iaciofano went close with a near post header but Adam Hayton at full stretch kept it out of the top corner. Will St Clair-Burton headed wide from a right wing cross, before Stortford finished the half stronger, with Russell picking out Saleem Akanbi with a through ball, but his shot from the right side of the box was dragged wide, before Russell tried a scissor kick volley but his effort went wide in injury time.

HT 1-0

From a Stortford free kick that was defended, Royston failed to clear and the ball was worked to Russell on the right, his cross was met in the air by Makise Evans but his header was saved by Louis Chadwick. Charlie Johnson found a through ball to Russell in the right channel but he was flagged offside, before Johnson headed over the bar from a left wing corner. Somewhat against the run of play, the Crows doubled their lead through Iaciofano, unmarked at the far post, he converted a low cross from the right that made it through a crowd in the middle of the box. Johnson fired wide from a left wing cut back, before substitute Charlie Castle received a long ball from Hayton straight down the middle, he slotted home under Chadwick’s body but the Blues failed to find an equaliser.

FT 2-1

TEAMS

Royston Town XI

1 Louis Chadwick

2 Ollie Stephenson (Yellow card 90+2’)

3 James Brighton (Ivanov 90+2’)

4 Will St Clair-Burton

5 Adam Murray (c)

7 Joe Iaciofano (Goal 27’ 65’) (Maguranyanga 76’)

9 Kian Harness

12 Anton Matthews

16 Jordon Frederick

19 Kwadwo Bugyei-Kyei (Warner-Eley 85’)

21 Thomas Avgoustidis (Bates 69’)

Subs

13 Reuben Rabstein

6 Ellis Bates

10 Sisanda Maguranyanga

14 Luke Warner-Eley

15 Konstantin Ivanov

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Adam Hayton (Assist 78’)

2 Tommy Lethbridge (Onyeagwara 46’)

3 Leon Davies

4 Cole Dasilva

5 Jake Thompson (c)

6 Mark Haines

9 Makise Evans

10 Bradley Russell

12 Fabio Virciglio (Forde 84’)

19 Saleem Akanbi (Yellow card 9’) (Castle 63’)

22 Charlie Johnson

Subs

7 Charlie Castle (Goal 78’)

11 Obi Onyeagwara

15 Eyituoyo Akinbulumo

18 Erin Amu

20 Harry Forde

Attendance 687