Recap
Bishop’s Stortford 1-1 Stratford Town Match Report 22/2/25
Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division
Hamish Arnold
Play-Off chasing Stratford Town needed a penalty in the ninth minute of second-half injury time against Bishop’s Stortford to rescue a point at the RDA Stadium on Saturday. Olu Oluwatimilehin’s first half strike had given the Blues the lead with his first home goal for the club, as Stortford looked to be heading for consecutive wins for the first time since December. But the late equaliser means Steve Castle’s side are unbeaten in four games, with three of them ending in draws.
The Bards had the first chance of the match, from a left wing free kick, Kevin Joshua rushed his shot and fired high and wide on the half volley from a central position. Jake Thompson blocked Callum Ebanks’ goalbound header from a free kick on the right hand side, but the forward was flagged offside anyway. Joshua nodded down a right wing cross to Daniel Lafferty, his shot was blocked by Oluwatimilehin and Luke Warner-Eley cleared. Lafferty’s low shot from the right side of the box went narrowly wide of the bottom left corner, while Owen James was unable to stab the ball home from close range. Erin Amu cleared Paul McCone’s header from a corner, and Elliot Krasniqi saved Lewis Ludford-Ison’s goalbound header from the next corner. Cole Dasilva’s right wing corner was flicked on at the near post, Luka Chalwell met the ball on the volley but it was blocked at close range for another corner, from which Charlie Castle’s near post header went inches wide. James’ low shot from the edge of the box was blocked by Thompson and the ball deflected out to the left wing for Brennan who pulled the ball back to Ebanks but his near post shot was saved. Fabio Virciglio made a smart turn and shot which was saved low by Jenson Kilroy, but only parried back to the Blues #12, he laid off to Oluwatimilehin who fired from 20 yards into the top left corner off the crossbar, with Kilray getting nowhere near. Rashawn Scott forced Kilray into a great low save at his near post with an effort from the left side of the box, before Jaden Ogwuazor’s looping header at the back post from the corner landed on the roof of the net. Chalwell fired inches wide of the bottom left corner from Virciglio’s lay-off and at the other end Lafferty fired wide from a cut back. Stortford finished the half strongly though, with Dasilva finding a diagonal pass to Scott, he got to the bye-line and picked out a low cross into the six yard box but Virciglio at full stretch couldn’t meet it.
HT 1-0
Thompson blocked Brennan’s close range effort early in the second half, and Dasilva was required to clear off the line from a corner. Ludford-Ison’s half-volley was brilliantly saved by Krasniqi, diving to his left he ekpt hold of the ball to prevent a corner. James fired high over the crossbar from a tight angle and McCone’s header was easily saved by Krasniqi as Stratford turned up the heat in the second half. Warner-Eley headed clear from a free kick and the follow-up was shot wide by James, and Lafferty’s volley was straight at Krasniqi. Scott found Presley Evans with a clever volley flock as the ball looked to be going out of play, he passed left to Gary Cohen but his chip shot landed on the roof of the net. Amu cleared after Krasniqi had saved Ludford-Ison’s header from a corner. Few chances were made during the last 10 minutes of the 90, but deep into injury time, Chalwell fouled Lafferty in the box, with Charlie Williams firing down the middle of the net to equalise. Blues manager Steve Castle – who had already been booked for applauding a decision by referee Gareth Burton in the first half – was sent off following protests around the awarding of the penalty.
FT 1-1
TEAMS
Bishop’s Stortford XI
1 Elliot KRASNIQI
2 Cole DASILVA
3 Luke WARNER-ELEY (Haines 83’)
4 Olu OLUWATIMILEHIN (Goal 25’) (Cohen 65’)
5 Jake THOMPSON (c)
7 Charlie CASTLE (Evans 65’)
12 Fabio VIRCIGLIO (Assist 25’) (Akinbulumo 90+1’)
14 Luka CHALWELL
16 Jaden OGWUAZOR
18 Erin AMU
20 Rashawn SCOTT
Subs
6 Mark HAINES (Yellow card 87’)
9 Gary COHEN
11 Jack ROBERTS
17 Presley EVANS (Yellow card 90+6’)
19 Eyituoyo AKINBULUMO
Stratford Town XI
1 Jenson KILROY
3 Finley BRENNAN (Yellow card 70’) (Vann 87’)
4 Joshua HAWKER (Yellow card 78’)
5 Paul McCONE (c)
6 Babatomiwa SOLANKE (Burton 68’)
8 Lewis LUDFORD-ISON
9 Callum EBANKS (Bruce 56’)
10 Daniel LAFFERTY
12 Kevin JOSHUA
16 Owen JAMES (Williams 75’)
19 Aaron LACEY
Subs
2 Daniel VANN
7 Jamie MOLYNEUX
15 Kasway BURTON
17 Cyrus BRUCE
20 Charlie WILLIAMS (Goal pen 90+9’)
Attendance 363
