Bishop’s Stortford 2-0 Redditch United Match Report 

Bishop’s Stortford 2-0 Redditch United Match Report

28/12/24

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Nahum Melvin-Lambert scored his first Bishop’s Stortford goal as the Blues finished 2024 with a 2-0 win against Redditch United at the RDA Stadium. It was Stortford’s first clean sheet in five games, climbing into the top half of the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division table in 11th on 30 points.

Nicholas Clayton-Phillips went close with a shot, but the low effort went narrowly wide from 20 yards, before Jaden Ogwuazor denied Johnny Johnston with a sliding block to his shot from the left side of the box. Erin Amu struck from 25 yards, the powerful shot went high and wide of the goal, and Jack Roberts forced a save from Oliver Taylor, when a loose ball broke to the forward, his first time low shot was straight at the visiting goalkeeper who dived on the loose ball. The Blues continued to apply pressure in the first half, from a deep free kick when Redditch couldn’t clear, it ended with a looping volley from Cole Dasilva, but it was claimed by Taylor. A long ball from Dasilva was met by Melvin-Lambert with a looping header but the ball landed on the roof of the net, and from a left wing cross Bradley Burton headed wide at the far post.

HT 0-0

Four minutes into the second half, Melvin-Lambert gave Stortford the lead, pouncing on a mix-up in defence he calmly slotted home into the bottom left corner. George Burroughs could have had an instant equaliser with a free header from a right wing corner, but headed over the bar from close range. That miss was punished immediately when Dasilva’s cross was fumbled by Taylor, into the path of Fabio Virciglio who converted into the open goal from close range. Roberts crossed from the left, substitute Charlie Castle nodded the ball down to Virciglio but he fired wide, before Ogwuazor thwarted Johnston once more with a perfectly timed tackle. From the resulting corner, Dawkins headed wide at the far post.

FT 2-0

The Blues begin 2025 with a home game against Bedford Town on New Years Day, and travel to Alvechurch on Saturday 4 January.

TEAMS

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Elliot KRASNIQI (Yellow card 83’)

2 Cole DASILVA (Yellow card 89’)

3 Luke WARNER-ELEY

4 Olu OLUWATIMILEHIN (BENNETT 67’)

5 Jake THOMPSON (c) (Yellow card 37’) (HAINES 56’)

9 Nahum MELVIN-LAMBERT (Goal 49’) (Assist 55’)

11 Jack ROBERTS (BALOGUN 77’)

12 Fabio VIRCIGLIO (Goal 55’)

15 Ryan CHARLES (CASTLE 62’)

16 Jaden OGWUAZOR

18 Erin AMU (AKINBULUMO 77’)

Subs

6 Mark HAINES

7 Charlie CASTLE

8 Andrew BENNETT

14 Eyituoyo AKINBULUMO

19 Lanrewaju BALOGUN

Redditch United XI

1 Oliver TAYLOR

2 Bradley BURTON

3 Jack KELLY (Yellow card 40’)

4 Kartell DAWKINS (THOMAS 89’)

5 Kyle ROWLEY (c)

6 Lewis STRAFFORD (KIRTON 46’)

7 Johnny JOHNSTON (Yellow card 90+5’)

10 Nicholas CLAYTON-PHILLIPS (ATWAL 73’)

11 Ryan INMAN (Yellow card 90+4’)

12 George BURROUGHS

15 Marvellous ONABIREKHANLEN (DAVIDSON-MILLER 89’)

Subs

9 Jahvan DAVIDSON-MILLER

14 George ATWAL

17 Dylan THOMAS

18 Archie KIRTON

19 Dennis DIGIE

Attendance 402