Richard Scott’s late spot kick settled a pulsating M11 derby as City edged this five goal thriller against the battling Blues to record back-to-back wins in their first two games in Nationwide Conference South.

With Paul Fewings sidelined by the injury which saw him withdrawn from the action on Saturday goal-scoring substitute Michael Gash retained his place in an otherwise unchanged Lilywhites starting line-up.

A transfer target for Gary Roberts over the summer, Stortford striker Paul Hakim came into the match on the back of a brace that secured an opening day victory over Eastbourne.

Matt Langston powers in a header but is just off target

The first few minutes were very much chess-match material as both sides probed without taking any risks, Andrew Young the first ‘keeper to get a proper feel of the ball when he was called upon to field Gash’s strike from a Lee Chaffey through ball on seven minutes.

As the visitors began to get their passing game together a good move down the right hand side saw Hakim fire over from Alex Martin’s knock-down.

With just a hint that the game was beginning to open up Dave Sadler ghosted in at the far post to latch onto Richard Scott’s free-kick but fired wide. At the other end Richard Howell whipped in an excellent right wing cross which narrowly eluded Alistair Heselton as he strained to get his head to the ball.

With the game a little over twenty minutes old Sam Swonnell worked a right wing throw into Michael Gash, the teenager’s miscued shot falling kindly to Richard Scott who drilled a low drive into the side netting.

After Scott Forbes carelessly conceded a right sided corner Scott then picked out Glen Fuff who found space in the Stortford box but fired high of the target.

The visitors appeared to have done their homework on City’s giant custodian Duncan Roberts as Forbes laid the ball inside from wide left allowing Alex Martin to shot low at the bottom right hand corner of the net forcing the former Newport stopper to get down and gather at the second attempt.

His opposite number was called into serious action for the first time just after the half hour mark. Gash angled an intelligent ball over the Blues’ back-line, through the inside-right channel into the path of Dave Sadler, Young was quickly off his line blocking bravely at the feet of the former Hinckley hit-man.

Influential visiting skipper Dave Rainford was then allowed too much space in a central position some 25 yards from goal and had Roberts scrambling across his line again in pursuit of a low drive.

Patient build-up play then saw Craig Pope feed Swonnell from the right, the former Watford midfielder held the ball up well on the edge of the area until he created the room for a left foot strike which Young saved well down low to his right.

After Forbes had headed narrowly off target from a deep Anthony Allman cross play switched quickly to the other end where Pope clipped a neat pass into Gash who in turn freed Sadler on the left of the Stortford area. The scorer of Saturday’s match-winning goal under-hit his near-post strike allowing Young to stick out a leg and deflect the ball onto the upright.

As the half drew to a close Hakim’s snap-shot from distance again forced Roberts to get down low in order to effect a stop but it was City who ended the opening 45 minutes in the ascendancy after a good spell of pressure culminated in a Scott corner which Fuff headed powerfully towards the foot of the post but narrowly wide.

Dave Sadler takes on Stortford's Anthony Fenton

An absorbing rather than entertaining contest burst into life within moments of the restart. City surged forward from the off. Swonnell’s neat pass to Carl Williams allowed the midfielder to cut in from the left and curl a rising right foot drive towards the top corner of the net before Young intervened palming the ball away for a corner at full stretch. Richard Scott’s place kick was only partly cleared to Sadler who took advantage of a rare moment of hesitancy in the Blues rearguard to angle a low centre across the face of goal and into the path of a grateful Michael Gash who rammed the ball home at the far post.

With City still celebrating Stortford roared back, Heselton muscling his way into the area only to be denied by Roberts’ parry, the loose ball falling to Forbes some ten yards from goal, with the former Canvey midfielder shaping to shoot he went down under challenge from Fuff but a well-placed Mr Russell was not impressed and subsequently booked the Blues’ number eleven, although whether this was for ‘simulation’ or disputing the decision was unclear.

No sooner had the crowd had time to draw breath from that incident than City were back at the other end of the pitch doubling their lead. Scott’s short corner to Rob Miller caught the Blues off guard and as he squared to Lee Chaffey the former Ipswich youngster crashed an unstoppable rising drive into the roof of the net from some fifteen yards.

Again Stortford stormed straight back and this time were rewarded with a goal. Forbes strength and persistence won the ball in the inside left position before he slid a pass into the advancing Heselton whose very presence caused chaos in the City box, resulting in Howell finding himself in space on the right of the area from where he made no mistake with a fierce low drive despite a despairing lunge from Matt Langston on the goal line. All this and the half only seven minutes old.

With both sides maintaining a remarkable tempo Langston freed Sadler wide on the left where he held the ball up intelligently before crossing from deep, Allman got a touch on the centre which made Young’s reflex save all the more impressive as he tipped the ball onto the bar and just above the head of the expectant Gash.

As play switched from end to end Howell came close to doubling his tally as he flashed a header narrowly wide of the target from Forbes’ cross.

With the game just over an hour hold the visitors were again indebted to the impressive Young for keeping them in the contest. Having initially got too far under Scott’s free kick the summer signing recovered to make a superb block from Gash’s point blank effort before the same player saw a second strike cannon off a defender. As City maintained the momentum the ball was switched to the right where Sadler laid a pass inside to Swonnell who saw his goal bound drive acrobatically diverted away by the over-worked Young.

Richard Scott slots home the winning goal from the spot

A one goal lead never looked like enough to secure the points at this stage and so it proved as Stortford bravely hauled themselves back onto level terms after 70 minutes. The Lilywhites’defence suffered a collective lapse of concentration as Heselton was allowed to collect Martin’s right wing corner, turn and fire home from six yards without a single City player in close proximity.

A struggling Sam Swonnell, who had been limping for several minutes after coming off worse in a 50/50 challenge was withdrawn and replaced by trialist Jon Stevenson. A change which saw Dave Sadler drop into the right hand side of midfield and Rob Miller move across into the centre, Stevenson partnering Gash in attack.

The Milton Road faithful didn’t have to wait long to see the potential of the former Leicester City striker. Sadler’s lofted through ball found Miller who squared for Stevenson, his first touch a stinging right foot drive which the heroic Young beat away from goal. Under pressure from Gash the ‘keeper then under-hit a clearance which fell kindly for Miller just inside the visitors’ half. Cutting inside the former Bedford midfielder unleashed a dipping drive which narrowly cleared the bar with Young back-peddling furiously.

As the game entered the final ten minutes Martin Hayes made a change, a straight swap up front, Leon Green for the hard working Heselton.

Just when it seemed that the game might be heading for a draw there was yet another, and this time decisive, twist to the plot. Dave Sadler, proving very effective in his adopted role played a centre into the edge of the box which Stevenson always looked second favourite to reach, however showing great strength and technique to hold off Alex Riches he not only retained the ball but angled a sublime reverse pass into the path of Gash sending him clear on goal. In attempting to retrieve the situation the unfortunate Gareth Gwillim bundled Gash to the ground right in front of Mr Russell who had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Up stepped Richard Scott to coolly slot the place kick beyond Andrew Young (who had saved under similar circumstances on Saturday).

There was no way however that City could afford to sit back on the lead as back came Stortford once again, good work by Howell creating a shooting opportunity for Rainford whose first time shot was only marginally off target.

There was still time for Miller to play in Gash through the inside left channel only for Young to save again, this time with his legs, before Mr Russell called time on one of the most entertaining 45 minutes of football seen at Milton Road in some time.

City have now collected a highly impressive six points from two tough looking opening fixtures and must be relishing the opportunity to build on that start when another team who have got off to a flier, Weston, visit Milton Road on Saturday. Whilst Stortford will naturally be disappointed to go home with nothing they not only posed City significantly more problems than title favourites Weymouth (last Saturday) but contributed fully to hugely entertaining game in which, despite the fact that every player showed total commitment throughout, contained not a single bad tackle. All in all a superb advert for Conference South football.