MATCH REPORT V ARLESEY

For the first time in a while it wasn’t raining but the ground was still well saturated. Hopes were high as Baldock were on a mini winning streak having won their last two games. Baldock were on the same points as Arlesey and there was an opportunity to move a few places up the league if we won.
Within a couple of minutes we were on the back foot as Arlesey broke clean through and were in on Harpur but they only managed a tame shot wide when they should have tested the Keeper. A few minutes farther on and Piggott had a chance when he latched on to a through ball but shot across the goal when he would have been better to square it for a tap in for Logan. In 13 mins Morris battled through the Arlesey defence and had a shot that went for a corner. A couple of minutes later Baldock managed to lose a goal from loose play on their left - a soft goal against the run of play.
Logan was proving to be a thorn in Arlesey’s side as he was constantly testing them by running at them at pace - one of these runs producing a cross which was just nicked off the head of the waiting Piggott who might have scored. Arlesey did not look too threatening and the only real threat was the pace of their strikers but they looked well under control for the most part. In 24 minutes Baldock had a corner and McClelland thundered a header off the bar. Shortly after that Logan put a ball into the box for Coppin who forced the Keeper to save. The next attempt, in 24 mins, was similar but this time Coppin beat the Keeper to make it 1-1. Baldock continued to dominate and in 40 mins Piggot was on to a through ball from Furness and chased down the Keeper to force a corner. The resulting corner saw the big man, McClelland, hammer another header on goal which the Keeper saved - Coppin had a shot from the breaking ball but it went just wide. Into ‘added on time’ and Gill got into a wrestling match with the Arlesey striker just outside the box and because he was last man he was sent off - seemed fair enough. Arlesey rattled the bar with the resulting free kick from about 19 yards.
So, down to ten men for the second half and I wasn’t hopeful. We had been the better team but Arlesey had a bit of pace up front. Fortunately the 4-4-1 formation looked fairly solid, some big guys in there and Arlesey decided that they would try to play over the top and use their pace - easy meat for our guys.
Just to rub it in Logan was brought down in the box in 50mins and O’Brien coolly converted the penalty. 2-1 to Baldock.
It was then a bit end to end with Baldock trying to hold the ball up front and Arlesey still stuck on their kick and chase routine. In 70 mins Logan was brought down on the edge of the box and O’Brien hit the bar with the resulting free kick.
Baldock didn’t really look under pressure despite being down to ten men and Arlesey looked more and more frustrated as the game threatened to boil over. We didn’t need to worry as Baldock came up with the move of the game with O’Brien working the ball to Logan who gave him it back, O’Brien beat a defender and then shot across the Keeper into the far corner. Great goal to make it 3-1. Arlesey had a man sent off in the closing minutes so that they finished with ten men as well.
A good day had by all, unless you were an Arlesey supporter, with shades of the old Baldock 18 yard club making some noise and going home happy (I miss those days).
A well deserved, battling win. Potton Utd are up next, they are just above us in the League. A win against them, at Home, and we leapfrog them as well to get us towards the middle of the League.
Hard to say who the man of the match was as there were a number of good performances with the team working better as a whole.

Team; Harpur, Furness, Gill, Coppin, McClelland, Burton, Logan, O’Brien (C), Piggott, Thake, Morris. Subs (used); Gould, Harper, Doolan.