htfcreports.com/2024/08/18/sorensen-shines-in-imperfect-victory/Winning is infectious, creating vital momentum and confidence, and though this was the least convincing of the three games of the campaign to date, it was nevertheless deserved.
If lessons can be learned from a poor second half performance, which saw a much improved Stevenage cause difficulties to a previously untroubled back line, then the anxiety it engendered will be valuable.
Until the break, a comfortable and entertaining home win looked inevitable, with Town having more trouble from poor and inconsistent officiating than their ponderous opponents, who failed to register a shot on goal and appeared completely out of their depth.
Hitting the woodwork early on when Spencer flicked at a near post corner, Town’s dominance grew throughout the half and a wonderful Helik ball to Wiles should have resulted in the opener for the much improved midfielder, but Stevenage’s keeper got vital fingertips to his lob and the ball was cleared off the line.
Wiles had been guilty of pulling a very presentable early chance wide, too, but after a season of ghosting through games with little impact, he is now becoming a genuinely influential player in a side encouragingly brimming with them.
A breakthrough seemed inevitable and it came from a rampaging run from the impressive Sorensen whose perfect cross was met by Koroma who headed in from short range. The goal lifted something of a weight off his shoulders having performed well at Peterborough without scoring and in his short midweek stint when he missed 2 very presentable chances.
A Lees header from a very good corner delivery by Miller glanced agonisingly wide as Town strolled through the half with a confidence approaching disdain.
It may have been complacency born of such superiority which contributed to an uneven and often very poor second half display, but credit should be given to Alex Revell who replaced the lumbering and ineffective Simpson and Goode with immediate benefit to the visitors.
Setting out with new purpose, the Hertfordshire side ran at their previously unperturbed opponent, and with Helik and Lees uncharacteristically moving towards the same man, space opened up behind them and substitute Appere squared to provide his teammate List with a golden opportunity to level.
Incredibly, List missed. Brahms sprung to mind….
Undeterred, Appere found space for himself as doubts multiplied among the hosts and Nicholls did well to thwart the attempt.
Moments later, Ward should have doubled the advantage but blazed over after being perfectly picked out by Koroma. Standing in for Healey, withdrawn as a precaution with a groin issue, Ward’s overall performance did little to quell the notion that one more striking option is vital for Town’s prospects for the season.
Fortunately, the miss was soon rendered irrelevant by yet another Sorensen assist. Picked out by the otherwise quite subdued Evans, the Dane took the ball in his stride, took a step forward and fed Wiles who swept the ball home with a refreshing and welcome confidence.
With that, the game was effectively over. Stevenage knew their chance had come and gone and while their general play was much improved over an abysmal first half, the belief had disappeared.
Duff attempted to revitalise his charges with a triple substitution, followed ten minutes from time with two more, but only Marshall of the replacements stood out with a lively 25 minutes. If anything, the changes only served to entrench the Terriers’ disjointed efforts.
As the game fizzled out, the positives of a good first half, another 3 points and a clean sheet compensated for an unconvincing second 45. Unfortunately, a poor referee intervened at the very last by awarding a penalty against Spencer as a potentially dangerous cross came in. Nicholls had flown out to punch clear, but Spencer’s infringement was definitely punishable, even if similar incidents are too often ignored.
The late breach was not undeserved and, along with the failings evident in the poorest half of the season, should allow Duff to drive necessary improvements through a squad which has generally performed well but has a lot more to offer.
Despite a largely comfortable afternoon, bar a ten minute spell, and an ultimately deserved victory, Town need to recruit in the next 2 weeks of the window to shore up a defence lacking pace and which has to play Spencer out of position and add to the options up front.
Hopefully, that is also the conclusion of the watching Kevin Nagle who, at least, was rewarded for the impetus he has created around the stadium which is definitely contributing to a new sense of optimism around the club.
