Blues stung by Bees’ three goals in five minutes as they suffer their heaviest home league defeat this season
Bishop’s Stortford suffered their heaviest home league defeat of the season as they lost 4-0 to Harborough Town, who scored three goals in less than five minutes late in the second half.
With six matches to go in the Pitching In Southern League, Premier Central, Steve Castle’s side remain 15th, still eight points clear of the drop zone, with games against basement club Biggleswade Town this Saturday (March 29) and AFC Sudbury, who are fourth from bottom, still to come.
The visitors from Leicestershire – who have lost only four times on the road in the league this season, the joint lowest with fourth-placed AFC Telford United – remain seventh but are now just one point off the play-off places.
In front of an above-average crowd of 525 on Non-League Day – with no Premier League or Championship matches being played – Blues striker Brad Russell had the first shot of the match, but his 25-yard effort went wide of the left post and did not trouble Harborough goalkeeper Elliott Taylor.
At the other end, Stortford failed to clear a corner and Robert Morgan’s close-range volley cannoned off the crossbar and onto the goal-line before Luka Chalwell headed clear.
The visiting Bees took the lead in the 20th minute when Jutorre Burgess dribbled from the wing to the goal-line on the left side of the box and squeezed home a low shot from a tight angle.
In response, Chalwell could only get a glancing header on Cole Dasilva’s corner and the ball went out for a throw-in, while Harborough’s Connor Kennedy headed over the bar from a free kick on the right.
Blues keeper Elliot Krasniqi kept the deficit to just one goal as he made a great double save in first-half injury time when teammate Noah Freeman deflected Luis Rose’s low shot into the path of scorer Burgess in the six-yard box.
Early in the second half, the woodwork came to Stortford’s rescue once more when a left-wing cross was met on the volley, sailed over the onrushing Krasniqi but came off the frame of the goal and away from danger.
Harborough continued to look the more likely second scorers. Jaden Ogwuazor deflected Rose’s low shot wide for a corner, Riley O’Sullivan volleyed wide from Joshua Walsh’s left-wing cross and Burgess’ powerful strike seemed to be heading for the bottom corner but Mark Haines stuck out a leg and blocked the shot for a corner.
In the 76th minute, the Bees stung the Blues with the first of their three quick-fire goals as Alexander Morris’ glancing header from a deep cross on the left beat Krasniqi to make it 2-0.
Two minutes later, substitute Dempsey Arlott-John added the third when he controlled a left-wing cross and rifled the ball in at the near post from the right side of the box.
And in the 80th minute Walsh dribbled from his own half and picked out the top right corner from 20 yards to seal the 4-0 win with 10 minutes to go.
Bishop’s Stortford: Krasniqi, Dasilva (capt), Amu (booked 26), Haines, Melvin-Lambert (Cohen 69, Akinbulumo 89), Russell, Scott, Freeman (booked 75), Chalwell (Virciglio 61), Charles (Evans 69), Ogwuazor. Unused sub: Thompson.
Harborough Town: Taylor, Cooper (Malone 81), Walsh, Kennedy, Williams (c) (booked 24), Morris, Rose, Morgan (Robinson 52), O’Sullivan (Forbes 74), Burgess (Dolman 84), Starkie (Arlott-John 74).
Attendance: 525.
