TUDOR TALK

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Monday 27th August
Southern League Premier Division
Hemel Town 4 Cheshunt 1

This was an all too easy win for the Tudors against a poor Cheshunt side that never threatened to upset the apple cart at any stage.
Showing four changes to the side that beat Rugby on Saturday, Hemel started as they meant to carry on, creating good half chances for Ollie Burgess and Steve Sinclair in the first ten minutes.
A goal always looked likely as Cheshunt back-peddled & on sixteen minutes it duly came - Drew Roberts latching onto Dean Cracknell’s through ball to fire in across keeper Bobby Smith from a tight angle via the inside of the far post.
Smith then had to be on his toes to save well high to his left from Burgess’ header shortly after, but on twenty three minutes it was two-nil, as Josh Sozzo turned defender Simon Preddie and once more fired home low under Smith from the angle.
Hemel having accumulated a good lead however, now sat back and allowed the Ambers to play some football. On the half hour ex-Tudor Lee Allen forced a good save from home keeper Ian Brown low to his left, and Michael Deane saw Brown save well again from his free-kick over the Hemel wall six minutes later.
At the other end Sinclair, Sozzo and Nathan Bowden-Haase all tried their luck but were off target, before a vicious swerving shot from Cheshunt’s George Gregoriou nearly caught Brown going the wrong way - but the keeper managed to change direction & stop the ball at full stretch.
At the break however Hemel were still very much in control, and began the second half as they had left off. A half chance for Roberts came quickly, but he chipped his shot onto the top of the net, and Sinclair just failed to connect with a swift low cross from Burgess at the far post a minute later.
But on fifty three minutes the Tudors made the game safe - Sozzo converting Herron’s curling cross from ten yards, with a deft flicked header that again went in via the woodwork.
From that point on you could see the visitors heads visibly drop, and shortly afterwards both Bowden-Haase and Roberts saw their shots superbly saved from close range by Smith as the Tudors ran the show in the Cheshunt half.
Goal number four was only a matter of time in coming, and on the hour a one-two between Burgess and Sozzo left the winger behind the defence, where he pulled a short pass back inside for Roberts to crash home from eight yards out, & Hemel now began to really play the ball around and enjoy themselves.
But strangely this coincided with the threat on the Ambers goal being lifted somewhat, and once more Cheshunt found they were able to move forward a lot more. Despite some good possession however the Ambers were never to mount another serious threat, and gradually Hemel relaxed into a quiet routine of blocking attempted passes and moving forward on the break.
On seventy minutes Hemel’s clean sheet did disappear as Paul Edgeworth hauled down Allen in the box and Gregoriou converted from the spot, but a succession of half chances then fell to the Tudors as Roberts, Herron and Sozzo all scuffed their efforts, and Sozzo once more missed a good opening to complete his hat-trick when he waywardly headed Sinclair’s cross over with ten minutes left.
At the final whistle both fans and management were well satisfied with the team’s performance, and mention has to also go to young Adam Martin, who had an excellent match on his starting debut.
The Tudors now can only hope that the rest of this season’s matches prove to be as comfortable, as they prepare for next Saturday‘s trip to pre-season play-off favourites Corby Town.

Hemel Town:
Ian Brown, Yiadom Yeboah, Chris Herron, Josh Sozzo, Nathan Bowden-Haase, Adam Martin (Robbie Kean), Ollie Burgess, Dean Cracknell, Steve Sinclair, Drew Roberts, Paul Edgeworth. Subs (Not Used): Garry Sippetts, Fabio Valenti, Danny Nicholls Jnr & Steve Smith.

Cheshunt:
Bobby Smith, David Wattley, Michael Deane (Adam Norman), Anthony Fenton, Simon Preddie, Lee Allen (Ryan Deer), David Hicks, Steve Obeng (Harry Hunt), Dean Fenton, George Gregoriou, Alex Charalambous. Subs (Not Used): Scott Honeyball & Paul McGivern.