Sun Sports 0 Byng Road Old Boys 4                    1969/70                     Herts Intermediate Cup  

Sun's aggression arrives too late 

Had Sun Sports played the first 45 minutes with the same aggression as they found in the initial stages of the second half, Saturday's Herts intermediate Cup quarter final tie at Bellmountwood Avenue might well have had a different outcome.
The word "might", however, must be used conservatively, for overall the Byng Road side were far superior in football craft.
Sun engineered the occasional compact move but lack of a penetrative leader meant sheer frustration and no goals.
Often the tricky footwork of Brian Smith drew the visiting defence yet he was left with no threatening support.
The experiment of playing Tony Faux in attack dailed and indeed the necessity for overall forward aggression was woefully obvious.
Defensively, Sun were sound.
Newcomer Mark Hart impressed, but goalkeeper Jim Chamberlain was never in control of his six yard box.
From the outset, Byng Road showed their potential with fast build ups, quick, hard tackling and neat interweaving in their forward play.
All Sun achieved in the initial 10 minutes was a booking for Smith, apparently for dissent, and in the 14th minute the visitors got the first of their goals.
The ball was crossed over the Sun six yard area three times without interception, until Tyers finally struck.
Five minutes later the Watford side went further behind when the Old Boys were awarded a free kick just outside the area.
Inside men, Tyres and Palmer performed the step over ritual before centre forward Gilson cracked in a shot past a startled Chamberlain.
The first 30 minutes had seen Sun struggling to find some effective rhythm, under constant pressure. and they were lucky not to concede a third goal in the 32nd minute when a shot from Gilson was deflected against the post.
The start of the second period saw Faux and Ron Lee switch positions - a move necessitated by a first half injury to Lee, who later went to hospital with double vision.
This switch coincided with a revival in Sun's approach to the game as they forced the visitors back, gaining three free kicks in the first five minutes.
With 58 minutes gone, it only needed a goal from Sun to revitalise this match, but with their first break in the second half, the Barnet side collected another goal right against the run of play.
The ball was cleared upfield where ex Boreham Wood player, Ken Palmer, shook off Sun's defence and flicked the ball in.
Although this goal brought the Old Boys back into the game, Sun's newly found aggression
 continued.
The visiting goalkeeper dealt confidently with shots and headers from Smith, Brown and Lee, yet the absence of a strong, forceful leader to worry the Old Boys defence was very apparent.
Almost on time, Byng Road's Arnold was booked for a hard tackle on Lee and immediately afterwards the visitors claimed their fourth and final goal.
Chamberlain called for the ball, lost possession, and Corson gratefully moved n to score.

Sun Sports: J Chamberlain, J Low, C Tattam, R Rooney, R Lee, M Hart, E Rolfe, C Brown, B Smith, A Faux, T Reynolds, Substitute: B Langdale (after 70 minutes fro Reynolds)