Todays early kick off dodging the England game attracted one of the biggest crowds at Roker park in recent times with the travelling supporters enjoying their day out more than the Bedfordshire side. After the inital tentative start from both sides Hamid Barrwas given a little too much space on the edge of the box and chipped Stotfolds Scott Waters with the ball going in off the underside of the bar after 9 mins. Hamid got his and the visitors second heading down Jon Mains cross from the left on 23 mins with the United Counties side hardly troubling visiting keeper Matt Read. When Stotfold did go forward the bit of space created at the back allowed a Main to break down the left from shooting low to the far post with Waters fingertips on the ball not enough to stop the visitors getting their third on 30 mins. The only real chance for the home side in the first half fell for the FA Cup's top scorer Joel Mason, but his stabbed shot from a loose free kick was comfortably collected by Matt Read 10 mins from the break. A good strong wall denied Barr getting his free kick close to goal and Walters managed to get his hand to Mains shot tipping it onto the upright to keep the half time score 0-3. The second half saw Ian Morrison come close to pulling one back with his strike through the box being blocked and Paul Garretts free kick going just wide, while Walters kept the away supporters entertained clearing the ball skywards back across goal then collecting on the other side after being put under pressure from Ryan Martin. Stotfolds better possession in the second half was possibly down to the Isthmian side taking their foot off the gas after the triple substitutions for Stotfold failed to produce any more than Bobby Dance's header over the bar, Jon Main added two more on 84 and 86 minutes knocking a corner in at the post and a superb shot from the right to the far upright to complete his hat trick.
Logged
a few errors are forgivable but less than 100% commitment is not. losing is never an option.