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Match details
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Report
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Bletchley 0-0 Stevenage AthleticSaturday, 15 January 1972
Southern League Division One North Referee: Attendance: 288 Scorers: None Stevenage team
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Match coverage
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Stevenage Gazette, Thursday, January 20, 1972
Stevenage earn a point against lowly Bletchley - both sides have a goal disallowed
Bletchley 0 Stevenage Athletic 0
STEVENAGE ENDED their run of defeats by picking up a point at Bletchley on Saturday. They had their moments of near-glory, but there was little to warm the spirits of a small crowd of 288 at Manor Fields.
In a match that showed how poor the bottom of the Southern League's Division One North can be, Athletic had the edge early on, but they were gradually worn down by Bletchley's off-side tactics.
It made for a very dull game. Most of the play was centred in midfield, and attacks very rarely got under way.
Ron Fogg made his return to the Stevenage side after being forced to stay on the sidelines for some weeks, and Peter Hawkins played his first full match for Athletic at left back. Hawkins was tried out in a couple of friendlies earlier in the season.
Bletchley also had a debut man in Mick Forsyth, who went off in the 26th minute after being injured in a tackle. He was replaced by Payne, but the home side were soon reduced to ten men for the rest of the first half. Pete Johnson limped off after hurting his leg.
Before he went off, Forsyth blasted a hard shot at goal, only to see it blocked by Fogg, who just happened to be in the way. But Stevenage were on top in the opening stages, and got the ball in the net after ten minutes. The goal was disallowed for off-side.
By the time the game was 20 minutes old, the Stevenage attacks had petered out, thansk mainly to the Bletchley offside trap. Now the home side had the upper hand, but the dubious shooting ability of their forwards soon made it apparent that they would need a miracle to score.
RESOURCEFUL
The miracle nearly happened when defender Brian Brewster came up the field and nimbly got past two Athletic men. It was only the prowess of John Burke that stopped the resourceful full back from scoring. Burke dived hard to retrieve the ball.
But Burke and his opposite number, Mead, were rarely troubled, and in fact there were only three moments of excitement in the second half. David Spillane broke through for Stevenage, with Chris Long outside him. Spillane pushed the ball to Long, who crashed a shot straight at Mead.
Then Bletchley came back, looking very promising, and indeed they got the ball over the line. Parker hit a hard drive, and the ball was deflected to Massey, who tried agin, but missed. But the ball came back to Payne, who thumped it past Burke, only to be ruled offside.
In the dying minutes Stevenage got going again, producing a barrage of shots that were kept out by the Bletchley defence. Efforts by Spillane and Long were cleared by Brewster and Mills after Mead missed them completely.
A goal-less draw was a fair result - and certainly an apt result for such a poor game. Stevenage fans must be a little disappointed that Athletic could not beat a side who are finding league points so hard to come by, but the Broadhall Way men are in no position to complain.
Stevenage earn a point against lowly Bletchley - both sides have a goal disallowed
Bletchley 0 Stevenage Athletic 0
STEVENAGE ENDED their run of defeats by picking up a point at Bletchley on Saturday. They had their moments of near-glory, but there was little to warm the spirits of a small crowd of 288 at Manor Fields.
In a match that showed how poor the bottom of the Southern League's Division One North can be, Athletic had the edge early on, but they were gradually worn down by Bletchley's off-side tactics.
It made for a very dull game. Most of the play was centred in midfield, and attacks very rarely got under way.
Ron Fogg made his return to the Stevenage side after being forced to stay on the sidelines for some weeks, and Peter Hawkins played his first full match for Athletic at left back. Hawkins was tried out in a couple of friendlies earlier in the season.
Bletchley also had a debut man in Mick Forsyth, who went off in the 26th minute after being injured in a tackle. He was replaced by Payne, but the home side were soon reduced to ten men for the rest of the first half. Pete Johnson limped off after hurting his leg.
Before he went off, Forsyth blasted a hard shot at goal, only to see it blocked by Fogg, who just happened to be in the way. But Stevenage were on top in the opening stages, and got the ball in the net after ten minutes. The goal was disallowed for off-side.
By the time the game was 20 minutes old, the Stevenage attacks had petered out, thansk mainly to the Bletchley offside trap. Now the home side had the upper hand, but the dubious shooting ability of their forwards soon made it apparent that they would need a miracle to score.
RESOURCEFUL
The miracle nearly happened when defender Brian Brewster came up the field and nimbly got past two Athletic men. It was only the prowess of John Burke that stopped the resourceful full back from scoring. Burke dived hard to retrieve the ball.
But Burke and his opposite number, Mead, were rarely troubled, and in fact there were only three moments of excitement in the second half. David Spillane broke through for Stevenage, with Chris Long outside him. Spillane pushed the ball to Long, who crashed a shot straight at Mead.
Then Bletchley came back, looking very promising, and indeed they got the ball over the line. Parker hit a hard drive, and the ball was deflected to Massey, who tried agin, but missed. But the ball came back to Payne, who thumped it past Burke, only to be ruled offside.
In the dying minutes Stevenage got going again, producing a barrage of shots that were kept out by the Bletchley defence. Efforts by Spillane and Long were cleared by Brewster and Mills after Mead missed them completely.
A goal-less draw was a fair result - and certainly an apt result for such a poor game. Stevenage fans must be a little disappointed that Athletic could not beat a side who are finding league points so hard to come by, but the Broadhall Way men are in no position to complain.