Stotfold 1-0 Winslow United: Late winner sees Brett Donnelly's table toppers march on
[H1]Stotfold extended their lead at the top of SSML Division One in dramatic circumstances, with a late James Younger winner against title rivals Winslow United.[H1]
From the first whistle, Stotfold looked to move the ball quickly and decisively, opposed to Winslow's more counter-attacking style, but neither side had a shot on goal until Stotfold's Luke Smith missed a golden opportunity after 33 minutes.
Stotfold were nearly made to pay for that miss moments later after Robbie Canter was fouled, but the resulting free-kick was easily saved by Stotfold's Liam Gooch.
On the stroke of half time, Codi-Lee Spavins' free-kick was dramatically blocked on the line before shouts for handball were waved away by the referee, who then blew for the interval with the game still goalless.
Winslow were perhaps motivated by a desire to simply avoid defeat in this crucial game at the top of the table, but created enough problems for Stotfold's defence all the same.
The first chance of the second half fell to Codi-Lee Spavins, who fired a long range half volley over the crossbar.
Winslow relied on a very late goal to beat Bedford FC in their last game, with Stotfold also coming into this match off the back of a victory over Amersham, but a draw seemed like the only possible result this time around.
Liam Gooch made an excellent save at the start of the final twenty minutes to deny Winslow what looked like a certain goal, and the Buckinghamshire side continued to improve as the second half wore on.
New signing Bobby Dance struggled to make an impact from the bench going forward, and constant stoppages and breaks in play continued to hinder the game as a whole from living up to its expectations.
Out of nowhere, substitute James Younger sparked wild celebrations with a thumping finish from the edge of the box, and Stotfold had won possibly their most important game of the season, by the very barest of margins in added time.
Stotfold manager Brett Donnelly spoke to Hitchin Nub News after the game, and was understandably jubilant. After the squad and management side belted out 'Another One Bites The Dust' in the dressing room, Donnelly looked back on a "massive win" for his team.
The Stotfold manager wasn't too pleased with his side's tactical display, but was is forgiven thanks to Younger's winner- "that little bit of quality right at the end".
When asked if the title (in Brett's first season in charge at New Roker Park) looked any closer, Donnelly remarked that his team must still aim to win all of their remaining games, and was complimentary about Winslow's achievements already this season.
With a crowd of 500 plus in attendance, Brett joked with Nub News that "they weren't all family", but the work the club has done to capitalise on the growth of Stotfold as a town, and encouraging the next generation of players to go to games, cannot be underestimated.
This might well be the game that defines Stotfold's season.
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