The Saints beat league leaders Montgomery Town FC 5-2 today in an end to end game.
Goal scorers were Greg Preece(3), Matty Tong and an own goal.
Both teams had opportunities to open the scoring during the early stages of this encounter in the warm Marches sunshine. Hay St Mary’s striker Greg Preece fired narrowly over the crossbar in the third minute but the offside flag was raised against the former Hereford FC youngster before the visitors went down the other end of the pitch just a minute later where they eventually struck the woodwork from close range, before seeing the ball cleared to safety.
The Saints broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when Brendan Hackett picked out Preece on the edge of the Montgomery Town penalty area before the young striker found the net with a crisp strike after controlling the ball with a neat first touch.
Preece turned from scorer to creator seven minutes later when he did well to whip in a cross from out on the left touchline and find strike partner Matty Tong who was in the right place at the right time too deflect the ball home past the Canaries’ goalkeeper at his near post.
The visitors had a good opportunity to halve the deficit in the 23rd minute, after breaking quickly down the right flank, but saw the ensuing cross headed over the crossbar at the far post.
The Saints extended their lead two minutes later when a dangerous cross from the left was turned past his own goalkeeper by a Montgomery Town defender. The visitors broke quickly from their own half in the 34th minute but the final shot cleared the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area. Hackett went on a jinking run into the Canaries’ penalty area, six minutes before the interval, and was denied by a full-length save before the Montgomery Town custodian made an important save with his legs in the 41st minute.
Ht 3-0
Saints defender Will Goodwin fired a 25 yard effort over the crossbar some three minutes after the interval before before the visitors pulled a goal back with a header in the 51st minute from a corner. The Canaries were enjoying more possession following this goal but were unable to find a way through the Hay St Mary’s rearguard of Finn, James and Mcanally. However, in the 74th minute the visitors broke down the right flank and eventually Robbie Hartshorn applied the necessary close range finish to reduce the deficit further.
The Saints found a second wind during the closing stages to seal all three points, in the 82nd minute a Hackett corner was converted by Preece, after substitute Jordan Ingram had done well to see his initial shot turned behind at the near post.
The former Hereford youth striker completed his treble five minutes later after controlling the ball on the edge of the Montgomery Town penalty area and firing a low shot into the corer of the net. Hay St Mary’s nearly added a sixth goal before Paul Curtis’ final whistle after Ingram latched on to a Jack Biggs throughball but drilled his low effort across the face of goal but the hosts had done enough by then to claim the spoils.
Ft 5-2
Match report by Stu Townsend
An enjoyable game to watch for the supporters with plenty of chances at both ends. Montgomery have got a lot of older heads in their side where near half our side are still teenagers so the future looks good. What pleased me yesterday was how well we dug in when they pulled it back to 3-2, we didn’t drop our heads we went back at them and got two more deserved goals.
Well done to Frazer and Jordon who both fitted in well on their league debuts against strong opposition.
Thanks to Jamie Evans for sponsoring the game, Jamie chose Greg Preece as his man of the match. A hat-trick, an assist and his work rate throughout made it an easy choice for the match sponsor.
Team –
Tom Bevan, Tom Jame, Adam Finn(c), Frazer Mcanally, Richard Meredith(Jordon Ingram), Jack Biggs, Callum Maddy, Brendan Hackett, Matty Tong(Harry Hooper), Greg Preece.
