LOCKED OUT AND LEFT WAITING
Kick-off was scheduled for 3pm sharp, but fate had other plans. Players warmed up, fans filtered in, and then... nothing. The changing room door lock had broken, leaving the Hoddesdon squad stranded outside like eager shoppers waiting for a Boxing Day sale. Cue frantic calls, flustered officials, and a 20-minute delay that set the tone for a day of chaos.

But once the whistle finally blew, AS London wasted no time in showing who was boss.

EARLY PRESSURE, NEAR MISSES, AND NUGENT’S HEROICS
14 minutes in, Hoddesdon's corner routine nearly paid off in style. Blue and Lala both had efforts cleared off the line in a frantic goalmouth scramble that had AS London's defence doing yoga poses to keep the ball out. It was a warning shot — and AS London barely survived it.

Just four minutes later, Adam Stephens burst through like a man possessed, only to be denied by the ever-alert Liam Nugent. And if that wasn’t enough, Marvin Sordell followed up with his own one-on-one in the 19th minute — same result. Nugent, gloves blazing, kept Hoddesdon alive.

28 minutes in, Alie Bangiura was played through with the goal begging, but his finish was more Sunday League than Premier League, dragging it wide and letting Hoddesdon off the hook again.

AS LONDON HOLD ON — BUT ONLY JUST
As the half wore on, Hoddesdon kept knocking. Jack Riddle tried his luck from a Jimmy Agnew throw-in in the 36th minute, but his effort flew over like a balloon at a birthday party. Then Bailey — who was everywhere — unleashed a thunderous volley from distance that had the crowd gasping, but it sailed just high.

Bailey wasn’t done. In the 41st minute, he went full Usain Bolt, sprinting the length of the pitch before delivering a pinpoint cross to Lala, whose tap-in was somehow cleared off the line again. The goal was living a charmed life.

45+2 minutes in, Beau Shulman finally broke the deadlock. After Nugent pulled off a world-class save to tip the ball onto the crossbar, Shulman pounced on the rebound and slammed it home. AS London 1, Hoddesdon 0 — and it felt inevitable.

NUGENT VS SORDELL: THE DUEL OF THE DAY
The second half began with Marvin Sordell, a professional footballer who has been at the likes of Watford, clearly fed up with being denied. In the 52nd minute, he fired a shot that Nugent saved with his feet. But three minutes later, Sordell got his revenge. Played through with surgical precision, he slotted it past Nugent with ice-cold composure. 2-0.

Hoddesdon looked rattled. Their Tuesday night draw — their first point of the season — felt like a distant memory. With Connor Bolton and Jack Gibbs still sidelined but close to returning, the squad lacked bite, and AS London smelled blood.

SORDELL STRIKES AGAIN — AND AGAIN
74 minutes in, Bangiura was sliced through on goal again, but Hoddesdon’s defence finally remembered how to defend and snuffed out the danger. It was a brief reprieve.

Five minutes later, Sordell was back. Another through ball, another clinical finish — bottom corner, no fuss. 3-0, and Hoddesdon were sinking fast.

In the 82nd minute, Sordell tried to curl one into the top corner, but Nugent — who by now was single-handedly keeping the scoreline respectable — pulled off another stunning save. And just when you thought Marvin was done, he hit a vicious shot on the turn in the 90+1 minute. Nugent again. Superman gloves.

THE FINAL FLOP
But fate can be cruel. In the 90+2 minute, AS London lined up a free kick. It was on target, but not lethal — until Nugent, who had been flawless all game, fumbled it into his own net. A tragic end to a heroic performance. 4-0.

MAN OF THE MATCH: LIAM NUGENT
Yes, you read that right. Despite conceding four, Liam Nugent was the standout performer. Without him, this could’ve been a cricket score. He denied Sordell multiple times, pulled off acrobatic saves, and kept Hoddesdon in the game far longer than they deserved.

HODDESDON’S HOPES HANGING BY A THREAD
With Bolton and Gibbs nearly fit, Hoddesdon fans will be praying for reinforcements. Their first point of the season came earlier this week, but today’s performance showed just how far they have to go. The defence was porous, the attack toothless, and the midfield overrun.

AS London, meanwhile, looked sharp, ruthless, and ready to climb the table. Sordell’s hat-trick of chances — two converted, two denied — showed his class.

VERDICT: AS LONDON UNLOCK DOMINANCE
From broken locks to broken spirits, this was a day Hoddesdon will want to forget — and AS London will remember with glee. The scoreline says 4-0, but the story was all about Marvin Sordell’s menace and Liam Nugent’s defiance.

Football, eh? Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the changing room door refuses to open. We hope to see you down at Lowfield on Tuesday night where we face Basildon in the league and hope to bounce back to the last home performance we all witnessed. #COYL