In a match that encapsulated the essence of cup football, Hoddesdon Town’s journey in the Herts Senior Centenary Trophy came to a premature end, as they were edged out by Everett Rovers in a dramatic penalty shootout.

For the first 40 minutes, Hoddesdon Town dominated proceedings, applying pressure on the Everett Rovers defence. Yet, despite their possessional advantage, clear-cut chances were at a premium, with Everett’s backline holding firm.

The deadlock was broken in the 42nd minute, somewhat against the run of play. A loose ball in the Hoddesdon area fell kindly to Jason Puzey, who made no mistake, firing home to give Everett Rovers a 1-0 lead.

The second half saw Hoddesdon’s Ethan Gannon produce a crucial save in the 55th minute, as the ball threatened to sneak in at the far post. Moments later, a corner from the right taken by Connor Bolton found Jack Gibbs, whose effort went wide.

Everett nearly doubled their lead in the 59th minute, but Gannon was again the saviour, pushing a header onto the post. As Everett sought to cement their advantage, they squandered a golden opportunity in the 62nd minute as Hoddesdon remained in the game.

Hoddesdon’s persistence finally paid off in the 64th minute when Connor Bolton was brought down inside the area. Dusting himself off, he coolly converted the penalty, leaving the keeper with no chance and levelling the score at 1-1. You can watch the goal here.

The momentum seemed to shift in Hoddesdon’s favour, and in the 70th minute, a corner from the left taken by Blue Gallagher caused chaos in the Everett box. The keeper dropped the ball, and it was bundled over the line, but the referee controversially ruled it out for a foul.

The final 20 minutes saw both sides pushing for a winner, but neither could find the decisive goal, leading to the inevitable penalty shootout. Hoddesdon’s hopes were dashed as they missed their first penalty, giving Everett the upper hand. A series of excellent penalties from both sides followed before Hoddesdon missed their fourth and Everett converted, concluding the shootout 2-4 in their favour.

Last season saw the Lilywhites perform well in the cup competitions with some struggles in the league. This season seems to be the opposite as Saturday’s result means the side has left all four cup contests at the first hurdle. Hopes remain high for the league form however, and there is a chance for the team to get back to business with a home game Saturday 9th November against 5th placed AS London. It was excellent to see such a good turnout from our supporters on Saturday with our Youth Team players really adding to the atmosphere for us. Hope to see as many of you as possible there this coming Saturday as we look to keep the positive vibes around the club building in momentum.

Come on you Lilywhites!

Team:

Gannon – Krutko – Evans – Barnett - Gibbs – Hamill – Gallagher – Brown (Lala 63) – Bennison (Clarke 63) – Eden (Agnew 85) – Bolton