MATCH REPORT TUESDAY 11 AUGUST 2026

SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIV 1

STOTFOLD RES 3 LETCHWORTH GC EAGLES 2

Eagles recovered from a poor start and looked as if they would come away with a point until a penalty 8 minutes from time saw the home team run out winners.

Stotfold went ahead after only 12 minutes when a direct free kick in a central position about 25 yards from goal was misjudged by Eagles keeper Ben Gamage, who succeeded in pushing the dipping shot into the roof of his own net. As Stotfold kept up the pressure a corner was headed wide of Eagles goal 5 minutes later.

After 35 minutes Stotfold  ran from their own half deep into Eagles half and a low cross into the penalty area led to a scramble between a group of players in the goal area before the keeper managed to block a goal bound shot and then get possession of the ball. A few minutes later the Eagles keeper had to save a shot from inside the penalty area.

Eagles relief was short-lived. After 42 minutes a Stotfold forward raced down the right side to Eagles goal line, left a covering defender sat on his backside, and sent in a low cross which hit another defender and bounced into the net. With 48 minutes gone Eagles may have gone further behind, but a Stotfold free kick was sent over the defensive wall but straight at the keeper standing on the goal line in the middle of his goal.

Almost on the stroke of half time it was Letchworth that got the next goal. A free kick from near half way was floated deep into the Stotfold penalty area and the keeper did well to push over the cross bar a header from the edge of the goal area. The resulting corner was sent to the far post and headed firmly into the net by Jan Maertins.

Eagles started the second half brightly and a cross was headed just wide of goal from near the penalty spot. Then a free kick from near the half way line was sent into the Stotford penalty area towards a defender whose mis kicked clearance went to an Eagles forward standing near goal, but he smashed his shot into the side netting. Minutes later a great run into the Stotfold half took an Eagles forward to the edge of the home penalty area, but his low shot was straight at the keeper.

4 minutes later Eagles got the equaliser that they deserved. Maertins was put clear on goal, and he made no mistake by smashing the ball into the roof of the Stotfold net. Eagles continued to threaten another goal as a shot went high and wide of goal but with 8 minutes to go Stotfold were awarded a penalty, which was sent firmly low into the far corner of the net.

As the final minutes ticked away Eagles created a couple of chances to equalise. A long ball was chased down the centre of the field and inside the penalty area an attempt to put the ball over the head of the advancing keeper tipped it just over the cross bar. With a couple of minutes left another swift Eagles break downfield saw the ball carried into the penalty area and the keeper had to make a good save to smother the ball at his near post.