SAD SHOTS STUNG BY KING KANE
OH, what a difference a week makes. This time last Saturday, Bishop’s Stortford were floundering at the bottom of the National League North, while Aldershot Town were preparing to face West Bromwich Albion in the third round of the FA Cup.
But the gulf of class took a complete about turn at the ProKit UK Stadium yesterday as Steve Smith’s Blues went goal crazy against the shell-shocked National League play-off chasers.
Striker Kane Crichlow was the hero of the hour scoring five goals, including a hattrick inside the first 25 minutes, as Blues went on the rampage.
“They made one change from the team that played West Brom, they’re a good outfit, but we’ve done a proper job on them today,” Smith beamed.
“We kept our shape, got in good areas, and the difference was today we took our chances.”
The outcome could have been so much different if Jack Barham’s fifth minute effort had been lifted over Jack Giddens from a long ball by Coby Rowe.
Stortford went up the other end and scored almost immediately – Crichlow netting his first, curling into the bottom right corner from Osman Sow’s through ball.
Darren Foxley then doubled the lead on 13 minutes, stabbing the ball home from Aaron Greene’s centre.
Six minutes later, it was 3-0 – Crichlow finding the bottom left corner off the post from a tight angle inside the box.
And his first senior hattrick was complete after a fine counter-attacking move on 25 minutes when a clearing header from Sam Robbins was laid off by Ryan Charles to Crichlow, who buried a half-volley into the bottom right corner past Shots keeper Jordi van Stappershoef.
Giddens produced a fine double save to deny Barham and Josh Stokes before somehow keeping out Lorent Tolaj’s far post headed effort from a yard out.
The visitors’ pressure did eventually force a breakthrough on 74 minutes, however, with Tolaj scrambling home a loose ball in the sixyard box.
But, less than a minute later, Stortford restored their four-goal advantage with Greene sliding the ball through to Crichlow who side-footed into the bottom corner once more.
And the rout was complete two minutes from time – substitute Andre Godfrinne playing a one-two with Crichlow who slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.
Shots boss Tommy Widdrington said: “I’m flabbergasted. Take nothing away from Bishop’s Stortford, they looked like they felt they had us at a good time after the high of West Brom, but I warned the players of that last week in the lead up to the game.
“You’re only as good as your last game, and that’s our last game so we’re not very good!”