Just seven days after going to Croxley Guild and battering them 8-0, the Watford side made the return journey for this 3rd Round Aubrey Cup tie and Baldock couldn’t have made harder work of it if they tried!
The game was switched to The Grange Playing Fields because of the County Ground’s unavailability, but the condition of the ‘park pitch’ was shocking and in stark contrast to the superb playing surface the other side of Town.
The pitch was always going to be a leveller but this was no excuse for Baldock’s woeful 1st half display. Lacking in almost every area Baldock struggled to come to terms with the “mud-bath” and when influential Harry Holland limped off inside the first 10 minutes things didn’t look good. They soon got worse when the linesman signalled for a penalty for an off the ball incident with 20 minutes on the clock, as Town skipper Neil Morgan just couldn’t come to terms with the pitch.
Ryan Mitchell, Baldock’s only positive in a dreadful first half found himself limping off after half an hour with a turned ankle and with Louis Woodley injuring himself in the warm up and Manager Steve King having already used the other sub to replace the injured Holland, Baldock were a goal and a player down with an hour left of the game to play!
After harsh words at half time, Baldock came out a different side and looked a lot more purposeful and started playing like their loyal supporters know they can. After good work from Beckwith, the right back delivered a fine cross for Wayne Blows to powerfully head home from 10 yards to level proceedings.
However, the match took a huge swing back to Croxley when Connor Pennery, making his first start for Baldock, got given his marching orders after the ref adjudged his tackle was over the top. So with over half an hour of normal time remaining, Baldock were down to nine!
Remarkably though, they continued to press and created the vast majority of the chances; Croxley however had a great opportunity to seal the win when they caught Baldock on the break, but the centre forward missed his one on one when thwarted by Jack Farmer in goal and then the impressive Ben Lowden.
So it was extra time with just 9 players for Baldock and those left on the field were limping, so against both Steve King and Scott Grant’s advice, Louis Woodley, who was unable to put any pressure on his right foot, got stripped and went on to ‘stand’ up front.
But it was against the run of play that Croxley took the lead as some poor - albeit exhausted - defending saw the Croxley winger skip past three half hearted challenges to cross for Matt Connor to score at the back post for the visitors.
Baldock continued to press but it didn’t look like it was going to be there day as Baldock were the walking wounded with only 10 minutes left of extra time. But they kept going and got their rewards as Wayne Blows scored his 2nd of the match with a superb bicycle kick from 6 yards out to level once again.
With less than a minute on the clock, Baldock grabbed a deserved win when none other than Louis Woodley remarkably found himself with the ball at his feet following a corner and from six yards out he swung a boot at it and the ball somehow looped in after a deflection. Woodley collapsed in agony at pretty much his first and only kick of the game and will now miss a chunk of the season for his efforts!
As Steve King counts the injuries he wonders at what cost this victory came at. Especially as they have a vital league match on Tuesday at the County Ground against Hertford Heath.
Baldock: Farmer, Beckwith, Stillwell, Lowden, Morgan, Smith, Holland, (Rogers), Mitchell (Woodley), Pennery, Blows, Skelton
MOM: Lee Rogers (Sponsored by Eric Sore) |
