Six of the best for Bloods on Derby Day

Midfielder Billy Knott scored Saffron Walden Town’s first goal in their 6-2 win at Stansted.

Saffron Walden Town ended their disappointing recent run of form in emphatic style, hitting local rivals Stansted for six to put the hosts in real danger of relegation to step 6.

Billy Knott opened the scoring with a low drive on 27 minutes, with Kaleel Green heading the Bloods’ second two minutes later after an excellent cross from Jeff Cobblah. A mistake at the back led to Luke Skinner pulling one back immediately for the Airportmen, and former Blood Charlie Portway headed in a free-kick after half time to put the hosts level.

However, Stansted then suffered a real capitulation as Saffron Walden scored four times in the final 20 minutes. Green scored his second goal, and sixth of the season, following more outstanding wing play from Cobblah, who then grabbed Walden’s fourth with a snapshot from distance.

Ricky Modeste’s screamer and Jaiden Babalola’s tap in then put the result beyond doubt, both players grabbing their first goal for the club.

Before the match, Stansted knew that anything but a victory would put them in severe danger of the drop, and that added incentive of derby day meant that anything was possible on the day.

Saffron Walden, meanwhile, knew that their playoff charge was over, and just a point on the day would have meant that a 6^th place finish was a certainty.

It was a cagey start to the match as Stansted’s defence initially restricted Walden to long-range efforts, with Modeste and Orlando Anker both missing the target from range. The best chance of the opening twenty minutes came when Cobblah beat his man, the first of many times in the game, and put in an inviting cross which was just missed by Green.

The deadlock was broken, however, on 27 minutes. A typically scrappy passage of play ended when Cobblah poked the ball to Billy Knott on the edge of the box, who unleashed a low left-footed drive, which was too accurate for Stansted keeper Charlie Mann to stop.

Two minutes later, the lead was doubled. Outstanding wing play from the impressive Cobblah ended with another inviting cross, which this time Green was able to meet with his head from close range, and put the Bloods two goals to the good.

However, being 2-0 up away from home in the derby and seemingly cruising led to a moment of overconfidence from goalkeeper George Coton. Latching onto a backpass and trying to dribble round Skinner, who was closing him down, ultimately ended in the ball falling kindly for Stansted’s number 10, who was then able to keep his composure and slot into an empty net.

The rest of the first half consisted of fouls which livened up the crowd of 262, and very few chances. Surprisingly, no cards were shown, either in the first or second half, and both teams seemed content to go into the break at 2-1.

The second half started with expected Stansted pressure, and Saffron Walden were unable to find their rhythm going forward, constantly losing the ball before they crossed the halfway line. The inevitable equaliser arrived when a free-kick from deep found the head of Portway, once a fans’ favourite at Catons Lane, and the ball flew over Coton and into the net.

The home crowd behind the goal were delighted, and it was one-way traffic for the following ten minutes, with Walden’s defensive duo of Tom Skelton and Rowan Dorling holding firm, and Coton had to make a smart save from Skinner to prevent the Airportmen from grabbing the lead.

With Walden seemingly devoid of ideas going forward, and under pressure at the back, manager John Hughes responded by sending on assistant manager Sam Deering in the midfield, and suddenly Walden looked like a different team.

The efforts of the home side to get back into the game seemed to have physically caught up with them, as a relentless spell from the visitors saw them not only take the lead, but build up a handsome advantage.

With 70 minutes played, Cobblah was allowed to advance down the left hand side, for the first time in the second half, and his low cross found Green for an easy tap-in, to swing the momentum into the visitors’ favour.

Cobblah, who had set up all three goals by this point, then deservedly got onto the scoresheet himself. A snapshot from the edge of the box seemed to travel in slow motion past Mann, striking the post before crossing the line to make it 4-2 with 12 minutes to play.

Two minutes later, the ever-present, popular full back Modeste, signed over the summer, finally registered his first goal for the club. His short corner was given back to him by Deering, a speculative shot was launched from range and the ball sailed into the top corner, leaving the travelling fans stunned and elated in equal measure.

And tongue-in-cheek chants of “we want six” from the Bloods faithful behind the goal, relishing every time the ball found their rivals’ net, were answered in stoppage time. Modeste’s corner was tapped in by Babalola, with Stansted’s defence at sixes and sevens, ensuring a 6-2 scoreline that the loyal Saffron Walden supporters would remember for a long time.

Stansted’s heavy loss could have even confirmed relegation on the day, had it not been for Sawbridgeworth Town’s defeat at Takeley, but defeat next week at home to Ilford will confine them to step 6 football. If they were to beat the Foxes, however, it would mean a very tricky final day test as they fight for survival, as they welcome Great Wakering Rovers to Hargrave Park.

The Bloods, meanwhile, can only finish 6^th in the table, but will look to finish the campaign as strongly as possible when they travel to Benfleet on Saturday, before hosting Little Oakley on the final day of the season.

 

Stansted: Mann, Long, Bennett, Gill (Goodfellow, 82’), Conway (C), Gregory, Godward (Columbus, 75’), Moyo (Pulham, 46’), Portway, Skinner, Leggett. Subs not used: Pullen, Morland.

Goals: Skinner, Portway.

 

Saffron Walden Town: Coton, Elongo, Modeste, Babalola, Skelton (C), Dorling, Ofori (Barns, 85’), Cobblah (Da Moura, 89’), Green, Anker (Banks, 60’), Knott (Deering, 60’).

Goals: Knott, Green (2), Cobblah, Modeste, Babalola.

 

Player of the match: Jeff Cobblah (Saffron Walden Town).