MATCH REPORT TUESDAY 29 JULY 2025

HERTS CHARITY SHIELD 2ND ROUND

LETCHWORTH GC EAGLES 4 EVERETT ROVERS 3

A hat trick by Will Blair was enough to see Eagles through to the next round despite defensive weaknesses, against a side from Watford who play in the same league.

Eagles opened the scoring after 18 minutes when Will Blair flighted a perfect free kick from just inside the Everett half into the penalty area and on to the head of an onrushing Theo Nobbs, who thundered the ball into the far top corner of the net. After 27 minutes Eagles went two up with a solo goal from Blair. The ball was cleared upfield from Eagles penalty area and played on to Blair near the half way line. He raced downfield and reaching the Everett penalty area before twice cutting inside a defender and placing a low shot into the far corner of the net.

Everett then began to enjoy more of the play and missed a great chance to score after 33 minutes when a long ball downfield found an Everett forward who cut inside defenders and unleashed a fierce shot just over the Eagles cross bar from just outside the goal area. Minutes later Eagles keeper Kian McAdam made a hash of trying to punch clear an inswinging corner and the ball bobbed around the goal area before being cleared upfield.

Relief was short lived when Everett scored after 39 minutes with a low shot into the net at the far post after a forward had broken clear of defenders. Just before half time Blair picked up the ball on the right side and again raced downfield, but after cutting inside defenders his low shot from outside the penalty area cannoned off a defender to safety.  

The first opportunity to score in the second half fell to Eagles after 5 minutes, when a free kick on the left side was headed wide of goal. Minutes later it was 3-1 when Blair scored with a direct free kick. Everett responded with a goal a couple of minutes later when Eagles keeper fumbled the ball which then ran loose and was scrambled into the net despite his frantic efforts to claw the ball back from the goal line.

After an hour it was all square after a break down the left side. The ball was squared to another Everett forward who scored with a low shot into the net. Matters could have got worse for Eagles after 65 minutes when an Everett free kick was headed over the Eagles crossbar. McAdam then did well to push away for a corner another free kick and make a good save with his legs when an Everett forward broke clear on goal. Eagles keeper was kept busy and after 85 minutes he had to push a dipping shot from outside the penalty area over his crossbar.

Just as it looked as if the game would go to penalties Eagles snatched the winning goal. Charan Basra took the ball down the left touchline and pushed to ball inside for Blair to pick up a low cross into the penalty area and shoot low into the net from near the penalty spot. Play switched from end to end in the final minutes of the game as tempers frayed between the two teams. In the final minute Everett looked to get the all-important goal when Eagles keeper again lost possession of the ball in his goal area and it ran loose as he desperately tried to regain possession, before ball ran out of play for a goal kick.

COYE