STEVENAGE BOROUGH 4 HAYES & YEADING 0

 

A hat-trick from Charlie Griffin set Borough on the way to a comfortable three points against Hayes & Yeading at The Lamex Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It was a far cry from the early season meeting when Borough scraped a one all draw at Church Road. On this occasion there was only going to be one winner, although the visiting side did give them a few worries on the way.

 

Borough should have taken the lead as early as the second minute when Yemi Odubade sent Andy Drury racing clear. The midfielder had all the time in the world to pick his spot but Simon Overland stayed big and strong and eventually pulled off a comfortable save.

 

When Borough did make the breakthrough in the seventeenth minute it was Drury who was the provider, laying the ball back into the path of Charlie Griffin who collected the ball, spun and sent a low shot past Overland’s dive and into the corner of the net, for only his second goal of the season.

 

Griffin made that three for the season on 33 minutes when he was on hand at the far post to poke home a shot from Odubade that was drifting wide of the far post. With Borough in command there seemed little hope for the visiting side, until Borough made a hash of clearing a corner late in the half. The ball fell to Tom Cadmore, but his effort was cleared by a combination of Chris Day and Michael Bostwick.

 

Three minutes into the second half Odubade though he had made it three with a smart low shot from the edge of the area, but his effort was ruled out by the assistant referee’s flag. Borough were forced into a change five minutes in when Eddie Odhiambo went down with a thigh injury, but his replacement, Stacy Long, would offer the visiting defence no respite.

 

As has so often been the case Borough took their foot off the pedal and Hayes began to edge themselves back into the fixture. They were denied a goal midway through the half when Michael Brough cleared a header from Sean Canham off the line. Borough went straight back up the other end and Darren Murphy tested Overland with a stinging drive that the goalkeeper did well to tip wide.

 

Charlie Griffin collected his hat-trick from the penalty spot, raising him to the head of the Borough goalscoring charts and at the same time securing the three points. Overland actually committed two fouls, first he pushed Griffin aside as they tussled for a high ball, an offence that the referee turned a blind eye to, but then as he chased the ball to the goal-line, he pulled down Odubade, giving the referee no option but to point to the spot.  

 

Hayes, showing commendable application, continued to press for a way back, and indeed they should have reduced the deficit with 15 minutes remaining. George Daly took advantage of some slack defensive work and found himself free ten yards from goal, but was denied by an excellent save from Chris Day. Even then the rebound fell to Dale Binns, but the former Borough man fired over with the goal gaping.

 

Day had to be at his best again minutes later when he flung himself to his left to parry clear a low drive from full back Adam Green, captain Mark Roberts hacking the loose ball clear. Again Borough responded well and a flick on from Griffin sent Obubade racing clear, but once again he was denied by Overland. Borough did make it four in added time when Michael Bostwick created space for himself on the edge of the area and beat Overland with a low drive just inside the post. 

 

Three points nicely in the bag from the first of three consecutive home matches is the perfect start and they will be seeking more of the same when Salisbury City and Wrexham visit The Lamex Stadium in the next ten days.

 

STEVENAGE BOROUGH (4-4-2) C Day – R Henry, M Bostwick, M Roberts, M Brough – A Drury (Sub: L Boylan, 74), J Byrom, D Murphy, E Odhiambo (Sub: S Long, 51) – C Griffin, Y Odubade (Sub: C Beardsley, 85). Substitutes not used: A Bayes, P Vincenti. Booked: Drury, Murphy