City slumped to a disappointing defeat in the ‘M11 Derby’ as Bishop’s Stortford rounded off an excellent week with a comfortable win in a game marred by a serious injury to the Lilywhites’ teenage midfielder Josh Simpson.

The Blues returned to league action on the back of an epic win at Gravesend in the FA Trophy in midweek. Martin Hayes making several changes from the line-up that secured a 3-2 victory courtesy of goals from Dave Rainford, Duane Jackman and Steve Morison; Ben Lewis, Richard Howell, Steve Parmenter and Morison making way for Laurie Stewart, Tim Langer, Dean Cracknell and Jackman respectively.

Lee Summerscales takes a ride

Gary Roberts stuck with the 4-5-1 formation that had secured a draw at Lewes on Tuesday thanks to a brace from Dave Sadler, he was forced into one change however, Lee Chaffey, stretchered off at the Dripping Pan replaced by Tuesday night’s substitute Brady Stone.

After a low key and uneventful opening quarter of an hour the hosts registered the first effort on goal when Mervin Abraham played Andrew Young’s long clearance into the path of skipper Rainford who fired narrowly over the angle of post and crossbar from 25 yards out.

Former Redbridge striker Abraham was at the heart of the action again as he beat Lee Summerscales on the outside before drilling in a low cross which Brady Stone diverted behind at full stretch.

Having offered little going forward City then spurned a decent chance to grab the lead when the alert Josh Simpson lofted a pass over the advancing Blues’ back line and into the path of Carl Williams, but with only Young to beat the Lilywhites’ wide man rolled his effort disappointingly wide.

Another long clearance created a problem for the City rearguard as Abraham this time played in Dean Cracknell who seemed destined to open the deadlock with a crisp drive only for Duncan Roberts to plunge to his right and turn the ball behind for a corner.

Things started to go wrong for the visitors a couple of minutes before the interval. Abraham went up with Stone for an aerial challenge and appeared to catch the former Cambridge United player with a flailing arm. Stone immediately went to ground and it soon became obvious that the central defender who had put in a sound display up to that point would not be able to continue. Recent signing Barry Smith was forced into an earlier than expected debut as City tried to reorganise.

Whilst the Lilywhites would have been happy to see out the remainder of the period without conceding they nearly grabbed a surprise lead on the stroke of half-time. This time it was a Roberts goal kick that created the chance. The ball was worked wide to Dale Binns who accelerated between two defenders and found Smith who in turn played in Williams but the former Hitchin midfielder again rolled the ball agonisingly across the face of goal.

Home keeper, Andrew Young, punches clear as Dave Sadler threatens

City lined up for the second half with Craig Pope as an emergency central defender alongside Matt Langston with Rob Miller dropping in at right back. The changes didn’t appear to affect the Lilywhites going forward however. Josh Simpson played a pass in from the right to Smith whose lay-off put Dave Sadler clear ten yards out. The Milton Road club’s top scorer clipped his effort over the advancing Young but could only look on as the ball cannoned off the post.

Former Hearts midfielder Smith was enjoying an influential spell, he sent Binns clear down the left with an astute angled pass but the former Hendon wide-man’s cross-cum-shot sailed narrowly high of the target.

The game then turned against the visitors in very unfortunate circumstances. As City continued to press down the right flank Josh Simpson went down under, what appeared to be, a routine challenge. The reaction from Simpson himself and the other players in close proximity suggested a serious injury. After lengthy treatment administered on the pitch the young midfielder, who has played a huge part in City’s run of good results since the turn of the year, was stretchered from the field to sympathetic applause from all sides of the ground. Gary Roberts introduced Michael Gash as the Lilywhites changed the shape of the team yet again.

Whether or not it was as a direct result of this incident City immediately found themselves a goal down. Abraham advanced onto a speculative through ball but his progress appeared to have been halted by a strong Pope challenge. The loose ball sat up kindly for Abraham however and his first time effort went straight through Duncan Roberts from close range.

As City looked to hit back Smith again freed Sadler, this time through the inside right channel but on an afternoon when the former Hinckley hit-man was unable to reproduce the kind of finishing that has brought him three goals in the last two games he shot across the face of the six-yard box.

Sadler must have realised it wasn’t to be his day twenty minutes into the half when he charged down Young’s miscued clearance, but bearing down on goal the twenty-goal striker delayed too long before attempting the curl the ball around the on-rushing ‘keeper who redeemed himself with an acrobatic stop.

Injury victim, Josh Simpson

Sadler and Gash then combined to good effect, sending Carl Williams clear down the right, his searching cross forcing Young to tip behind for a corner.

Martin Hayes made a double change, swapping both of his strikersAbraham and Duane Jackman for Steve Morison and Paul Hakim (a one time City transfer target).

With ten minutes plus injury time remaining there still appeared to be every chance of City snatching a leveller, however any hope of a fight back disappeared when they conceded a soft second goal. The ball was worked across from left to right. Lee Summerscales appeared to be shepherding Tim Langer inside when the player who has progressed through the youth system at Woodside Park unleashed a fairly innocuous shot which appeared to deceive Roberts and creep in at the far post.

With a minute of normal time remaining the Blues completed a very satisfactory afternoon’s work with a third goal. Alex Martin powered clear of a tiring Richard Scott in midfield and, exploiting the space on the right of the City defence played in Morison behind Miller, allowing the prolific striker to net his 18th goal of the season by sliding a shot back across Roberts.

A final attack by City which saw Scott free Sadler only for Gash to fail to connect with the resultant cross summed up an afternoon to forget for the play-off chasing club.

Whilst Gary Roberts would almost certainly have settled from four points from three very tough away games in the space of eight days, what will be of more concern is the serious injuries sustained by an increasing number of players as the season reaches a critical stage.