ROYSTON 4 BIGGLESWADE 6
SCORERS
ROYSTON CASTIGLIONE 44 POTTON 11 19 BRATHWAITE 86
BIGGLESWADE BELL 13 LONGE-KING 22 BALL 50 PEN GENT 56 WHITE 68 90+4 PEN
STAR MAN MATT BALL – BIGGLESWADE
MATCH RATING 5/5
ATTENDANCE 209
TEAMS
ROYSTON
JOE WELCH
LEWIS ENDACOTT
HAROLD JOSEPH (TYLER CORLETT 62)
SCOTT THOMAS
DANIEL BRATHWAITE ©
JOSH CASTIGLIONE
JAMES POTTON
SAM CORCORAN
VANCE BOLA
DAVID MOONEY (DAN GALLIN 62)
TOM NEWMAN (ROHDELL GORDON 57)
BIGGLESWADE
SAM DONKIN
JACK BRADSHAW
LUCAS PERRY
KIERON FORBES ©
JORDAN GENT
DAVID LONGE-KING
BRADLEY BELL (JOHNNY MCNAMARA 80)
LUCAS KIRKPATRICK (LIAM BROOKS 81)
JOE WHITE
MATT BALL (BEN WALSTER 90+4)
SOLOMON NWABUOKEI
FORMATIONS
ROYSTON 3-4-3
BIGGLESWADE 4-3-3
STATS
ROYSTON
SHOTS ON TARGET 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET 6
BLOCKED SHOTS 3
CORNERS 6
OFFSIDE 3
FOULS 8
YELLOW 0
RED 0
BIGGLESWADE
SHOTS ON TARGET 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET 4
BLOCKED SHOTS 0
CORNERS 9
OFFSIDE 1
FOULS 10
YELLOW 2
RED 0
QUOTES
STEVE CASTLE “POSITIVES – WE SAW SOME EXCELLENT FINISHING TODAY, THREE GOOD GOALS SCORED – JAMES POTTON FREE KICK SPECIAL. DISAPPOINTED TO CONCEDE 6 GOALS AT HOME. NO HEART AND DESIRE SHOWN OFF THE BALL – WE WILL TRY AND ADDRESS THAT TRIED TO CHANGE IT UP WITH THE SUBSTITUTIONS.”
LEE ALLINSON “GREAT GAME FOR THE SUPPORTERS. HOWEVER FOOTBALL PLAYED WAS SCHOOLBOY STUFF. WE SAW TERRIBLE DEFENDING FROM BOTH SIDES. REALLY PLEASED WITH MY TEAMS HARD WORK – WE KNOW ROYSTON HAVE A LOT OF INJURIES BUT NEEDED TO KEEP PRESSURE UP. GAME COULD STILL HAVE GONE EITHER WAY WITH FIVE MINUTES TO PLAY AND ROYSTON WERE ALWAYS IN THE GAME AND HIT WOODWORK THREE TIMES. DELIGHTED WITH THE WIN.”
Report
Royston Town faced Biggleswade Town in the midst of what can only be described as an availability crisis. Five first choice players were unavailable through injury and suspension and their opponents today are on a decent run of form that has seen them climb to fourth in the table before today’s match. The game itself proved to be a goal fest with the attackers on both teams dominant and making their opponents’ defending look very ordinary. On a blustery day it was the Crows that drew first blood when in the 11th minute Josh Castiglione, who was lively all game, fed Sam Corcoran to deliver a good deep cross and James Potton rose to glance a header by Biggleswade’s goalkeeper, Sam Donkin. The Waders struck back immediately as two minutes later former Crow, Bradley Bell, followed up a half cleared corner and converted with a header. Undeterred Royston built again and it was Potton again whom picked himself up after a robust foul in the 19th minute by another former Royston player, Jack Bradshaw, and curled a sublime free-kick into the far corner giving Donkin no chance. Once again Biggleswade swung their counter punch to even the score this time three minutes later as giant defender, David Long-King, punished the home side for some poor set piece marking and forced a header in from a Matt Ball free-kick. Nervous times for the Crows as they continued to struggle to deal with high balls in but they survived the pressure and took a lead into half-time with a goal in the 44th minute as youngster Tom Newman showed good skills squaring a pass to Castiglione who sent in a beautiful curling effort that again left Donkin as a mere spectator. Royston were denied a certain penalty late in the first half as Referee Alistair Wilson waved away claims as Newman was blatantly tripped in the box whilst making another tricky penetrative run.
Half Time Royston 3 Biggleswade 2.
The visitors came out the more lively and swung this game in their favour in the first 11 minutes of the second half. Firstly in the 50th minute they won a penalty as Solomon Nwabuokei was deemed to have been fouled and Ball converted past Joe Welch in the Royston goal. Then Biggleswade took the lead for the first time in the 56th minute as defender Jordan Gent met a corner with a full on right foot volley that found the net just inside the post. Royston manager Steve Castle tried to change things to find some momentum by making all three of his substitutions around the hour mark but these changes had no immediate positive effect and the Waders extended their lead in the 68th minute when Ball and Kieron Forbes combined down the right wing and found Joe White who sent in a low shot past Welch. The Crows stepped up a gear and proceeded to rattle the crossbar twice – first from Potton then from Corcoran – and their pressure paid when a corner in by Castiglione was bundled in by Dan Brathwaite to give the home side a chance with four minutes of normal time to play. The Referee added five minutes and the game was put to bed when a second Waders penalty was awarded and Joe White converted in the 4th added minute to complete a good victory on the road.
Full Time Royston 4 Biggleswade 6.
