BALDOCK TOWN FC 1 - Biggleswade FC 0

Football was back and it was back in Baldock on a fine day for a match. There was a capacity crowd with good representation, as usual, from Biggleswade. Capacity was restricted to 75 because of the current Coronavirus situation.
Both teams looked like they had fielded a strong side and play seemed fairly even in the initial stage. Biggleswade had the better of the chances, in ten minutes, when they broke down their right and a low cross was knocked narrowly past from about eight yards. The same thing happened again a couple of minutes later but Harpur intercepted when an easy knock would have been on the cards. Piggott and Gaffney were combining well and trying to get something going on the right and were making some progress but not managing anything decisive. Baldock had a shot on goal in 25 mins when Gaffney won the ball just inside the Biggleswade half and moved the ball on to L’Honore who made progress to the edge of the box but shot narrowly past. The game continued to be fairly even for a bit but in 34 mins a high ball trying to find L’Honore on the edge of the box broke back to Joy, who was well out the left corner of the box, and from 25 yards out he put a cultured shot over the goalkeeper who was well off his line. It was a goal from the minute it left his foot and there was nothing the Keeper could do about it. Badlock 1-0.
Harpur kept us in it in 38 mins, when he made a good low save in the middle of the goal from a good downward header from the Biggleswade striker. Harpur pulled off his best save of the match in 41 mins when he got down low to his left to push a shot past the post, really good save. That was it for the first half with Baldock leading 1-0.
Obviously this is was a friendly and lots of changes were bound to be made in the second half but we were doing well against the strongest opposition that we have faced so far. Considering the close season changes this was good progress.
Harpur was the first keeper in action after the restart and he made a good block in 54 mins. A few changes were made and Piggott went straight up front and in 71 mins he managed a good run on goal and extracted a decent save from the Keeper. At the other end Biggleswade were not having much luck. Our defence looked fairly solid throughout, much of that due to Coppin sitting in a holding midfield role. In 81 mins Biggleswade made good progress on the left and a solid downward header went narrowly past.
Despite the many changes in the second half Baldock still looked like a decent team and Ponting, in goal, looked very capable. Franklin, despite his youth, on the left didn’t look out of place and is definitely one for the future.

As an ardent follower of Baldock and football for many years I know that leadership is everything. The new management team, led by Bates, already has the team well organised, with confidence high and respect for each other very obvious. There is a positive atmosphere around this team and this reflects in the way that they play. There is no one out of their depth and there were no ‘school boy’ errors in defence that we were plagued with last season. The core of the defence stood firm and despite changes all around in the second half they didn’t look too troubled. It’s a new team and a long way to go but definitely a good start and a good afternoon out for all of us that have missed football.
Get along and see them - looking forward to seeing you there.
Team; Harpur (GK), Duguid, Burton, Coppin, Furness, Harper, Joy, Gaffney, L'Honore, Piggott, Morris, Doolan, Ponting (GK), Sinclair, Franklin, Hewitt, Rome, Reed