Hoddesdon Town returned to the top of the Thurlow Nunn First Division South in emphatic fashion on Tuesday evening, brushing aside Brimsdown 6-0 at a wet and windswept Lowfield. Two goals inside the opening four minutes from Connor Bolton, strikes from Jack Orchard and Harry Andic, plus a late Jack Gibbs double completed a thoroughly professional evening for Simon Riddle’s side and extended their remarkable unbeaten league campaign.

Conditions were far from inviting as drizzle swept across Lowfield from kick-off, but Hoddesdon wasted absolutely no time warming up the 60 hardy supporters who had made their way through the turnstiles. The Lilywhites had been forced to watch Stansted move above them at the weekend after Saturday’s scheduled trip to London Fennecs was postponed, so this was their opportunity to respond and reclaim first place with games still in hand.

They could scarcely have started any better.

Hoddesdon won a corner inside the opening minute and Blue Gallagher, whose delivery from dead-ball situations has been a constant weapon this season, sent the ball into the Brimsdown penalty area. Jack Orchard attacked it decisively and powered his header home, putting the hosts 1-0 ahead with barely 60 seconds played and immediately setting the tone for what was to follow. Brimsdown had barely had time to reset before the second arrived in the third minute. A Hoddesdon free kick from the left was directed back across the face of goal by Orchard and Connor Bolton stole in at the far post, reacting quickest to convert and double the advantage.

Jack Orchard Was Heavily Involved Early On

If the visitors hoped that conceding twice so early might at least allow them a moment to regroup, Hoddesdon had other ideas. Barely another minute had passed when another free kick caused problems inside the Brimsdown box, Blesson Asekolenga getting the crucial contact to send the ball back across goal before Bolton arrived again to finish and make it an extraordinary 3-0 after only four minutes. Three goals inside four minutes had Lowfield wondering just how many might follow, but credit must be given to Brimsdown for preventing the match from immediately becoming completely unmanageable. Hoddesdon remained firmly in control and continued to dominate possession, territory and the flow of the game, although the visitors managed to get greater numbers behind the ball and frustrate their hosts for much of the next half-hour.

Bolton Extended His Goalscoring Record

Gallagher continued to influence proceedings from midfield, while captain Jack Gibbs dictated the tempo and looked constantly for opportunities to move Hoddesdon forward. Bolton remained a persistent threat around the penalty area, Orchard looked commanding at the back and Asekolenga was heavily involved both defensively and when Hoddesdon pushed forward.

The fourth goal eventually arrived in the 32nd minute and once again Gallagher was at the heart of it. Another excellent corner was swung into the danger area, Asekolenga again helped it back across goal and Harry Andic was perfectly positioned to apply the finish, giving the Lilywhites a 4-0 advantage and rewarding an industrious first-half performance from the forward. Andic’s contribution extended well beyond the goal. He worked tirelessly across the front line, pressed Brimsdown whenever they attempted to play out and continually made himself available between the lines, producing the sort of energetic display that gave the visitors little opportunity to settle into the contest.

Harry Andic Collected The Man Of The Match Award

By half-time the result already appeared to be heading in only one direction. Hoddesdon had four goals, complete control of the match and had barely allowed Brimsdown a sight of Liam Nugent’s goal, although the Lowfield crowd were understandably hoping the second period might produce a few more.

HALF-TIME: HODDESDON TOWN 4-0 BRIMSDOWN

The challenge after the break was to maintain the standards established during such a devastating opening period rather than allow the game to drift. Hoddesdon did exactly that, continuing to dominate the ball while remaining disciplined enough to ensure Brimsdown were given no encouragement of an unlikely route back into proceedings.

Riddle was also able to make good use of his squad with the result seemingly secure. Around the hour mark Harrison Cage and two-goal Bolton were withdrawn, with Ollie Babbage and Hadley Richards introduced, allowing two important players some valuable rest while giving others meaningful league minutes. Freddie Wilkinson and Jonah Evans were also introduced shortly afterwards in place of Reggie Pegrum and Ollie Finch. The changes did little to alter the pattern of the contest, with fresh legs allowing Hoddesdon to maintain their intensity and keep Brimsdown pinned back for long spells.

For all the hosts’ dominance, one of the biggest cheers of the second half belonged to goalkeeper Liam Nugent in the 64th minute. Brimsdown won a free kick and produced their best effort of the evening, but Nugent reacted superbly to tip the ball onto the crossbar and preserve the clean sheet. It was an outstanding save from a goalkeeper who had been largely a spectator for much of the night. Concentration is often hardest when opportunities are scarce, and Nugent’s intervention demonstrated exactly why he has remained such a reliable presence behind the Hoddesdon defence throughout the campaign.

Nugent Made An Incredible Finger Tip Save In The Second Half

With the clean sheet protected, Hoddesdon went searching for further reward and found it with 15 minutes remaining. Jason Brown, who had entered the action and immediately offered energy down the right, broke into space before supplying Gibbs, and the captain produced a composed finish to make it 5-0.

Gibbs was not finished.

Six minutes later he collected possession in midfield, drove forward with purpose and, as the Brimsdown goalkeeper advanced in an attempt to narrow the angle, calmly fired beyond him for his second of the evening and Hoddesdon’s sixth. The late double was an appropriate reward for another accomplished midfield display from the captain. Gibbs had spent much of the match orchestrating proceedings before adding the goals that put an emphatic finish on an already convincing performance.

Jack Gibbs

There was to be no consolation for Brimsdown before the final whistle, with Hoddesdon seeing out the closing minutes professionally and Nugent completing a deserved clean sheet. The visitors had arrived at Lowfield during a hugely difficult spell and were never allowed the opportunity to build the confidence that a shock result might have provided.

FULL-TIME: HODDESDON TOWN 6-0 BRIMSDOWN

The final whistle confirmed Hoddesdon’s 13th league victory from 15 matches, with Riddle’s side still unbeaten in First Division South competition after 12 wins became 13 alongside their two draws. Their record now stands at 41 points, 42 goals scored and only 11 conceded, with the evening’s six-goal victory increasing their goal difference to an imposing +37.

Results elsewhere made the victory even sweeter. Stansted, who had temporarily taken over at the summit while Hoddesdon were without a weekend fixture, were held to a 1-1 draw at home by London Harts United, allowing the Lilywhites to return to first place with a two-point advantage while still holding three games in hand over their nearest rivals.

Hoddesdon Return To The Top Of The Table

There remains a huge amount of football to be played, but Hoddesdon continue to give themselves an increasingly strong platform. Their six league matches prior to this fixture had all ended in victory, and the ability to immediately re-establish momentum following the disappointment of the League Challenge Cup defeat at Haverhill was another encouraging sign.

Manager Simon Riddle was pleased with the way his side approached a fixture in which the league positions could easily have encouraged complacency.

“The biggest thing for me was the attitude from the first whistle. Everyone could look at the table and see where Brimsdown are, but those are exactly the games where you can create problems for yourself if you start thinking the job is already done. We were aggressive, we moved the ball quickly and being three up after four minutes showed that the players had listened to what we asked of them.”

Riddle was equally pleased with the way the evening allowed him to manage his squad after a demanding recent schedule.

“We were able to get minutes into a few lads, protect a couple of others and still keep our standards high, so from that point of view it was a very useful night. Liam’s save matters as well because clean sheets are important to us, and I thought the boys at the back deserved one for how little they gave away.”

Vice Chairman Roger Merton also highlighted the collective nature of the performance and the significance of returning to the top of the table.

“It was an excellent team display in difficult conditions and the first four minutes were quite remarkable. Jack’s header settled everyone immediately, Connor was in exactly the right place twice and after that we controlled virtually every aspect of the game.”

Vice Chairman Roger Merton Was Pleased With The Performance

Merton added that Hoddesdon’s position at the summit was something to enjoy without becoming distracted by what remains a long campaign.

“Seeing us back at the top tonight is obviously very pleasing, particularly because Stansted have played four matches more than us, but nobody here will be getting carried away. What is encouraging is the consistency of the performances, the competition within the squad and the fact different players continue to make important contributions.”

Among those contributions, Harry Andic’s stood out sufficiently to earn the Greene King Level Head IPA Man of the Match Award. His first-half goal was accompanied by relentless running and intelligent movement, and he was presented with the award in the clubhouse after the match by Chairman Stuart Varney.

Gallagher, Gibbs, Bolton and Orchard could all have made strong claims after excellent individual evenings, while Nugent’s clean sheet and outstanding second-half save completed an accomplished team performance. On this occasion, however, Andic’s industry and influence earned the honours as Hoddesdon completed another memorable Lowfield night.

The Teams

Six goals, three points, a clean sheet and top spot reclaimed made for a hugely productive Tuesday evening. Most importantly, Hoddesdon’s unbeaten league journey continues, and the Lilywhites have placed themselves right back where they wanted to be — at the summit of the First Division South.

#COYL