10 Men Fosters Claim Big Win - London Colney vs Cockfosters

Dusk over Coltlandswick Playing Fields

While looking through the weekends fixtures one fixture really screamed out. This was the match between first and fourth in the Spartan South Midlands League and the two teams were London Colney and Cockfosters. The away side hadn't lost since the middle of last month while the hosts were eleven points clear at the top of the league and so there was the potential for a great match. Cockfoster's Chalk Lane was one of the first grounds I visited when I started ground hopping. On that day they played Haringey Borough in a London Senior Cup tie. If anything else, I was hoping to see a full ninety minutes after my last South Midlands game at Holmer Green barely last fifteen minutes.

Kick off in the top of the table clash

Cockfosters make most of the early running and their best early moment comes when the attacker is played in on goal but his touch takes the ball too wide and the opening comes to nothing. The Cockfosters keeper makes an incredible close range save from a chance from a corner to keep the scores level. They don't stay level for long however as a cross from wide is allowed to bounce and the ball beats the London Colney keeper to make it one nil to the visitors. London Colney push for a quick leveller but a ball into the box following a quick break manages to just elude the vital touch. They in fact fall further behind when the Cockfosters forward is able to get free in the box to score from close range. Again, London Colney have another chance shortly after conceding and the Cockfosters defender does well to block the chance. Just before half time they get right back into the game. The London Colney forward gets a shot on goal following a pull back from the byline and the ball is blocked on the line by the arm of a Cockfosters defender. The offending player is sent off and the penalty is buried to set up the second half.

The Cockfosters player brings the ball under control

London Colney are almost in early on in the second half and the Cockfosters keeper does well to get to the ball first. Cockfosters are still well in the game even with ten men and they put together a good passing move which ends in the London Colney keeper being forced into a good save. The visitors extend their advantage when a ball into the box is flicked home from close range to put the ten men two up. They then have a great chance to seal the points when the forward is played in on goal but the London Colney keeper makes a great save to keep his team in it. The home side are then played in themselves and the keeper again comes out on top as the Cockfosters goalie gets down well to save the effort on goal. London Colney get back to within one goal when the ball headed home at the back post to set up a nervy finish. They come desperately close to an equaliser when an effort following a free kick is hacked off the line by the Cockfosters defence. That proves to be the last chance as Cockfosters hang on to complete November without losing in the league.

London Colney attack in the first half

The nearest station to London Colney is St Albans and trains from St Pancras take between twenty and thirty minutes. From either the bus or train station you can catch either the 85/85A or 602 bus with this part of the journey taking twenty minutes. I don't know if there was some sort of incident on the local network but the return buses seemed almost to return at random. Right at the bottom of The High Street is The Colney Fox which is a gastropub but did have a good choice of beers. Next to the river is The Green Dragon which would be nice in summer and also had a decent of range of beers. A bit closer to the ground is The White Horse which is the best bet for the early kick off. It is possible to walk to the ground past the leisure centre and you don't have to take the entrance off The Orbital Road as I initially did. The clubhouse had the usual selection of drinks and offers an elevated view of the pitch if it gets too cold.

The Cockfosters player does well to pick me out with a pinpoint pass