‘Derby still a massive occasion for us’ says Danny Fitzgerald after goal and win gives Colney Heath spoils against London Colney
London Colney V Colney Heath - Bobby Armstrong for London Colney battles with Jack Woods for Colney Heath. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
Victory in the Colney derby was all down to the passion and the sense of occasion the Colney Heath players have for the fixture according to Danny Fitzgerald.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Jack Metcalfe makes a save for London Colney. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
The midfielder pounced three minutes after the break to seal the 2-0 win over London Colney with centre-half Sean Doolan, another former Blueboy, getting the opening goal.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Joe Price of London Colney gets away from Colney Heath's Shaun Murphy. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
And with the Magpies littered with players and staff who count the Cotlandswick club as former employees, the desire to clinch the win was obvious.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Chris Griffin for London Colney vies for possession against Harry Lewis for Colney Heath. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
Fitzgerald, himself a former skipper of London Colney, said: “There are quite a few of us in the team who played down here for a number of years until it changed ownership.
London Colney V Colney Heath - London Colney skipper Joe Reynolds talks to the referee . Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
“And after being the skipper down here, it’s always nice not only to come back and win but to score as well.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Chris Blunden in action for Colney Heath. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
“It meant a lot to win and although we’re not playing for a lot in the league, the derby is always a big game.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Josh Humbert in action for Colney Heath. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
“Some of the players on their team are a lot different so I don’t know about them but for the guys on our team, when we were here, it was always a massive occasion.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Dan Westmore in action for Colney Heath. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
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“It’s still the same being on the other side of the fence.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Dan Westmore for Colney Heath battles with London Colney's Joe Price. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
“It’s a big game and we always treat it that way.”
London Colney V Colney Heath - Dan Westmore for Colney Heath battles with London Colney's Joe Price. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
The match was a classic derby if not a contest overflowing with quality.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Joe Price for London Colney battles with Josh Humbert for Colney Heath. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
Colney Heath were worthy winners too, dominating the second period after a fairly-even first half.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Tom Blackman for Colney Heath. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
They got the three points in spite of Chris Blunden’s penalty miss before the break, the shot cannoning back of the frame of the goal, and also had a Greg Shaw effort cleared off the line.
London Colney V Colney Heath - Ryan Thompson, manager of Colney Heath. Picture: Karyn Haddon - Credit: Archant
Bobby Armstrong came closest for the hosts with a header that glanced off the top of the crossbar.
And Fitzgerald says the success, a first Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division win in 2019, and the manner of the performance could be the start of a strong finish to the campaign.
He said: “We’ve struggled for goals as well as wins but we battle hard and we won this battle.
“For two weeks we struggled for a team of players for various reasons but they’re all coming back now and hopefully for the remainder of the season, if we keep the squad fit, we can go on a little run.”
Both sides are on the road on Saturday. Colney Heath head to Leighton Town while London Colney visit Cockfosters.
