Late OG helps Colney overcome Hatfield

Herts Charity Shield

London Colney 3 Hatfield Town 2

AN 80th minute own goal from Sam Perrin handed London Colney victory in the Battle of the Blueboys at Cotlandswick on Tuesday evening.

Ryan Thompson’s Colney twice came from behind against their near neighbours before Perrin’s intervention put the home side through to the third round of the Herts Charity Shield.

Colney started well with Jimmy Warner and Greg Shaw both going close and Danny Fitzgerald seeing his shot crash off the crossbar.

Warner was causing all kings of problems around the box, teeing up Fitzgerald who saw his shot held by Hatfield stopper Sam Lacey.

Against the run of play the visitors broke the deadlock. Jason Caswell latched onto a through ball and despite Mark Whittamore getting a hand to the striker’s effort the ball crossed the line.

It took Colney just four minutes after the restart to draw level when Matt Newman sent Warner clear and he rounded Lacey before slotting the ball into the unguarded net.

Newman nearly put Thompson’s side ahead just seconds later but his effort came back off the crossbar.

Parity didn’t last long, however, as Hatfield regained the lead when Jason Caswell fed Carl Webb who made no mistake with his low shot past Whittamore. Colney were behind for just three minutes this time as they dished out an almost immediate response. Warner knocked down Frankie Jowle’s free kick into the path of Newman and he placed the ball low inside the left hand corner of Lacey’s goal.

Colney pushed on for a winner and were rewarded 10 minutes from time when Perrin put Craig Knightly’s cross past Lacey and into his own net.

Newman thought he’d added a fourth for the home side late on but he was adjugded to have been in an offside position when the ball rebounded to him off of Aaron Clarke.

Colney: Whittamore; Thompson, McCafferty, Saul, Paradise, Butler, Jowle, Fitzgerald, Newman, Warner, Shaw.

* Colney’s reserves beat Harpenden Rovers 7-1 in a friendly courtesy of goals from Aaron Ames (three), Tinashe Jarvaza (two), Eamon Rogers and Sebastian Thomas.