What an afternoon it proved to be at Hertford Town on Saturday as they played out a ten-goal thriller with Flackwell Heath.
With the sun shining brightly, a crowd of over 1,000 gathered after the Pitching In Southern League Division One Central club offered free admission to celebrate long-serving volunteer, John Staines’ 93rd Birthday.
Those present were treated to a pulsating game that burst into life straight away as the visitors took the lead within the opening minute only to find themselves 3-1 down before a quarter-of-an-hour had even been played.
The hosts led 4-3 at the interval, but it was after the break that the high-flying visitors started to turn the screw to secure a 6-4 triumph which strengthened their grip on third place.
“Saturday was always going to be tough,” admitted Jack Shakespeare, who weighed in with two of Flackwell Heath’s six goals. “Going away in front of so many fans and on such a big occasion for our hosts was always going to be tricky, but we made a dream start with my goal within the opening minute.
“Before we knew it, though, we found ourselves 3-1 behind to three well-worked goals and we knew at that point that we really had to dig in to ensure that the game didn’t get too far away from us.
“We managed to go in at the break just a goal behind and then turned it around with an impressive second half performance, in which we displayed plenty of character and determination.
“The season has gone really well for us. I don’t think we would have believed you had you told us we would be third going into the final month of this season following our promotion at the end of last term.
“We’ve achieved it with some top performances and hard work. We’re where we are for a reason but at the same time we recognise that there is still a long way to go and plenty of football to be played.
“From a personal point of view, to be on 11 goals and ten assists from midfield in my first season at Step 4 is good going, but I’m not satisfied and want more!
“The run-in to the end of the season is going to be so exciting to be involved in. These forthcoming games are all about grating through to get the right results. With the quality we have here and the togetherness within the group, I have no doubt we’ll have a strong finish to the season.
“This is a tough League with so many strong sides involved. Our goal going into the season was to push for the play-offs, so we’re delighted with the position we’re in and now we have a chance to create more memories and history for the club.
“As I say, we deserve to be here but we can’t afford to get too carried away and look too far ahead; it’s one game at a time.
“This is a long old season and we’ve had to work hard to get where we are, so we’re determined that it doesn’t all go to waste.”
Tuesday evening sees a clash with Bracknell Town in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup Final before they host Welwyn Garden City at the weekend. Over Easter they travel to Thame United and then host Beaconsfield Town. The regular season ends at Stotfold.
IMAGE: Flackwell Heath FC
Most clubs are looking for volunteers. Find out more on the button below:
www.PitchingInVolunteers.co.ukAll the news and results in one place.
REGISTER