SSML Division One

Hoddesdon Town 4 London Colney 3

LONDON Colney left their fightback too late as they slipped to a 4-3 defeat at Hoddesdon Town on Saturday.

The Blueboys had found themselves 4-1 down with just 18 minutes remaining before goals from Greg Shaw and Sam Mitchell fired Dave Townsend’s side right back into contention but in the end it was too little too late.

Colney had to do without influential striker Dave Parkinson who was unavailable and with just two minutes gone they found themselves behind when Jamie Curtis’s free kick was deflected past John Armand.

James Thompson drew the Blueboys level, seizing on a slip by Damien Thomas to drive the ball into the top corner of the net, but the parity didn’t last long as former Blueboy Gary Simmonds fired home from inside the box following another Curtis free kick.

The home side extended their lead 10 minutes into the second half when Colney failed to clear their lines from a corner and Tom Cowell made no mistake.

Shaw should have reduced the deficit when he headed Murphy’s pass wide of the target while Billy Wingrove hit the Colney crossbar. As the ball came back off the woodwork Kenny Hull was adjudged to have handled the ball and Wingrove stepped up to drive home the spot kick.

The Blueboys looked dead and buried but fought back and Shaw headed powerfully home from Frankie Jowle’s corner.

Dean Parratt had a glorious chance to make it 4-3 when Tom Bullock’s goal kick fell straight to the Colney man but his attempted lob was gathered easily by the goalkeeper.

With five minutes to go the Blueboys did make it 4-3 when Mitchell raced past Thomas and fired low past Bullock but it proved too late for Colney to rescue a point.

Colney: Armand; Hull, McCafferty, Paradise, Murphy, Shaw, Jowle, Mitchell, Fitzgerald (Parratt), Thompson (Stevens), Gallagher. Sub not used: Wilkinson.

* Former Harpenden Town striker Chris Gregory netted the only goal of the game as the Blueboys lost 1-0 at Berkhamsted on Tuesday night.

Gregory struck with six minutes remaining to settle the Division One Cup second round tie.

* The Reserves won 9-0 against Langford with Matt Hudson netting a hat-trick, Greg Deacon (two), Marc Farrow (two), Cain Davey and James Lawrence also scored.