Harborough Town 1-1 Bishop’s Stortford

Harborough Town 1-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report 17/4/26

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Frank Norris scored a second half equaliser as Bishop’s Stortford denied champions Harborough Town a win in the Bees’ final home game of the season before lifting the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division trophy on the pitch at full time. The Blues can still beat last season’s points total with a win at relegated Barwell on the final day.

Obi Onyeagwara dribbled into the box from the left wing and passed to Charlie Johnson in the middle of the box, but he scuffed the shot and the ball was cleared.Ben Stephens curled a shot from outside the box over the crossbar, before his next shot was blocked by a flying Johnson which saw the ball go wide. Adam Hayton made a save to deny Stephens once again and Elliott Taylor caught the ball from Onyeagwara’s central shot. Riley O’Sullivan thought he had opened the scoring but the referee had already blown the whistle for a foul, and Stephens found the net at the fourth time of asking with a superb free kick into the top right corner, in off the bar with Hayton left rooted to the spot. Onyeagwara beat the full back and fired in a low cross from the left, Norris dummied the ball to Aaron Greene but his shot was blocked. Cole Dasilva’s free kick hit the wall and his volley attempt on the rebound was headed clear, before Brad Russell shot over the bar from outside the box. Hayton parried O’Sullivan’s low cross and the ball was cleared before Paul Malone’s header was saved and Devon Kelly-Evans saw his shot deflected wide on the rebound. Stephens nodded the ball down from a right wing cross for Malone, his shot was blocked by Jake Thompson, the rebound cannoned off the post and Leon Davies headed the ball behind. Dasilva saw his low shot from the left side of the box cleared off the line before Thompson’s header from the corner was cleared and Greene volleyed wide.

HT 1-0

Substitute Deivi Kreka launched a long throw into the box and Thompson won a header at the near post, but Taylor caught the ball, before Kelly-Evans was forced to concede a corner with Smith arriving to meet a cross from the left. Stortford kept the pressure on with Kreka feeding Dasilva on the right, he crossed first time to Norris who finished low at the near post. Russell hit the bar with a first-time shot from Onyeagwara’s low cross with Steve Castle’s side having the better of the second half but unable to make clear cut chances. Late on in the match, Smith dribbled down the wing and picked out Norris with a cut back, his first time shot was blocked, he repositioned himself and curled the ball around the defender towards the far corner but a diving Taylor got fingertips to the ball to keep it out. Onyeagwara’s low shot through a crowd was saved following the corner kick.

FT 1-1

TEAMS

Harborough Town XI

1 Elliott Taylor

2 Joshua Walsh (Carline 60′)

3 Eliot Putman

4 Liam Dolman (MacAuley 48′)

5 Ben Williams (c) (Yellow card 52′) (Morris 57′)

6 Paul Malone (Newton 64′)

7 Devon Kelly-Evans (Yellow card 45+2′)

8 Connor Kennedy (Yellow card 45+2′) (Morgan 73′)

9 Riley O’Sullivan

10 Ben Stephens (Goal 16′)

11 Brady Hickey

Subs

12 George Carline

14 Rory McAuley

15 Robert Morgan

16 Alexander Morris

17 Danny Newton

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Adam Hayton

3 Leon Davies (Forde 90+2′)

4 Cole Dasilva (Assist 56′)

5 Jake Thompson (c)

6 Mark Haines

9 Frank Norris (Goal 56′)

10 Bradley Russell (Yellow card 62′) (Leggatt 81′)

11 Obi Onyeagwara

14 Jack Smith (Yellow card 90′)

19 Aaron Greene (Kreka 51′)

22 Charlie Johnson

Subs

15 Deivi Kreka

16 Cameron Leggatt

17 Bailey Carless

18 Erin Amu

20 Harry Forde

Attendance 1325