Non-League and Academy football writer

I made the trip to Hoddesdon Town’s Lowfield ground on Tuesday evening, for what was my first ever visit to their stadium. Hoddesdon Town hosted Cannons Wood, in a Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Division One South fixture. Hoddesdon Town started this league match far down in the league standings, although they had played only 13 league matches this season, before this match on Tuesday, while Cannons Wood started the match in good form and placing in the league standings. During the early stages of the match, the visitors Cannons Wood were noticeably quicker with their passing, but it was an even game early on. Hoddesdon Town’s Harrison Cage had a low effort from outside of the Cannons Wood penalty, gathered by the Cannons Wood goalkeeper, Ben Loftus. Around ten or so minutes later, there was a penalty shout from some of the Cannons Wood players, following a challenge from George Rankin on Herman Mwanza inside the Hoddesdon penalty area, but the referee waived the penalty shouts away. A couple of minutes later a corner-kick which was delivered into the box, eventually found its way to a teammate inside the box, whose effort was blocked well by a defender. The ball then came to another Cannons Wood player (Paulius Ditkevicius), whose effort was also well blocked, before a foul was given against the visitors.

A similar situation occurred inside the Cannons Wood penalty area, just before half-time. Hoddesdon Town’s Chris Webb had an effort inside the box well blocked, before the same thing happened, from Harrison Cage’s effort, soon after. Hoddesdon Town started the second half well, and following a free-kick effort from the left of the pitch by Harrison Cage, which was tipped over his goal by Cannons Wood goalkeeper Ben Loftus, Hoddedson Town came very close to scoring the opener on two occasions, in quick succession. After a corner-kick was delivered into the Cannons Wood penalty area, George Rankin had a good effort cleared off the line by a defender, before the ball came to Callum Bennison, who also had an effort which was well cleared off the goal-line. Hoddesdon were playing well, and soon after they had gone close to taking the lead, Harrison Cage hit a great effort on Ben Loftus’ goal, on the half volley from outside the Cannons Wood box, which the goalkeeper matched by superbly pushing the ball behind for a Hoddesdon corner-kick. A skilful and very tricky run from Cannons Wood player Khadean Campbell, resulted in him going past a couple of Hoddedson Town defenders inside their penalty area, before having his goal-bound effort superbly blocked by a defender, just in time.

A corner-kick delivery into the Hoddedson Town penalty area would lead to Cannons Wood taking the lead, past the hour mark of the game. Following the corner-kick and a goalmouth scramble, Cannons Wood player Elliot Scott was able to turn the ball home from close range, to give the away side the lead in the game. However, the home side soon managed to get an equalising goal, after Hoddesdon Town winger Connor Bolton’s whipped cross into the Cannons Wood penalty area, was met by the rising Harrison Cage, whose guided header found the bottom right hand corner of the goal, to make it 1-1. Cannons Wood tried to respond almost immediately through Brendon-Jay Osholake, but his effort from the left side of the Hoddesdon box, went over the goal. Paulius Ditkevicius then hit an effort over from distance, before at the other end of the pitch, George Rankin hit a low effort on the Cannons Wood goal, from the edge of their penalty area, but it was saved fairly comfortably by Ben Loftus. A fairly late free-kick which was delivered into the Hoddesdon box by Joe Thomas, unfortunately ended up being turned into the goal by a Hoddesdon Town player, to give the away side the lead.

A Cannons Wood substitute hit a low effort from the edge of the Hoddesdon penalty area just wide, soon after the game was started again. However, in the most dramatic ending possible, Hoddesdon Town got what I thought was a deserved equaliser, with what was the last kick of the game. A very late corner-kick delivery into the Cannons Wood penalty area saw the ball punched up into the air by goalkeeper Ben Loftus, but the ball then ended up bouncing off of a Cannons Wood player, before falling for Jack Gibbs, who volleyed the ball into the goal from close range, to make it 2-2. This was a particularly good second half of football, and I did think that it was a deserved draw. It was however, a very dramatic end to the game for Hoddesdon. I enjoyed my visit to Lowfield, which is a nice ground, and which also has a nice clubhouse. Hoddesdon Town player Harrison Cage was in my opinion the man of the match. It was a fine performance from him, which also saw him score a fine headed goal, plus he was involved in a lot of good things for Hoddesdon on the night. On Wednesday evening I will be watching another game in this league, as I head to the Mile End Stadium to watch Tower Hamlets FC take on Clapton Community FC, in an East London derby match.