A brace apiece for Afolabi Akinyemi and veteran striker Jamie Cureton, resulted in a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Frome for 20th- placed Bishops Stortford, with Cureton fast becoming Frome’s nemesis with a repeat of the two goals he had scored against Frome while playing for Farnborough earlier in the season.
After two home league defeats and midweek cup defeat, Frome were keen to get back to winning ways as they travelled to 20th place Bishop’s Stortford, and with the side having a much more familiar look to it than in midweek, there was no reason why they shouldn’t expect to get something from this match. Both Joe Raynes and Mitchell Page were missing through suspension, but Sam Teale was available and took his place on the bench.
On a bright cold day with a stiff easterly wind, the hosts were first to show as they tested Kyle Phillips early on, but Frome should really have scored in the 8th as Darren Jefferies whipped a low cross into the box, only for Ryan Bath to put the chance over the bar from ten yards.
Despite Frome looking comfortable, Bishops Stortford took the lead in the 16th as Frome lost the ball on the edge of the hosts’ penalty area and a swift counter-attack covered the length of the pitch, before Akinyemi shot home to open the scoring.
The goal seemed to shake Frome’s confidence and the hosts tested Phillips again and then had a great chance for a second, with a header that just went wide, and with Frome giving the ball away too easily, the home side were starting to dominate proceedings and closing Frome down very quickly.
However, after weathering the storm, Frome did start to put together some half-chances with Jon Davies starting to spray the ball around, but the lack of a recognised striker is now starting to tell and crosses were easy take and shots were wide, giving Calum Kitscha an easy afternoon in the home goal, and Frome would really have to step up a gear in the second half to get anything from this game.
The second half started better for Frome and pressure led to George Miller having a shot tipped over and after headers from Marcus Mapstone and Chas Hemmings had both cleared the bar, the Frome fans were starting to think that a recovery might be on the cards, but an injury to Connor Roberts in the 55th, causing him to be substituted, was a blow for the visitors.
As Frome carried on looking for the equaliser, a superb ball from Davies to allow Jefferies a run on goal almost led to something, and with Hemmings moving up front to add a bit of firepower, the match was still in the balance, but after the hosts had hit the side netting, up popped Jamie Cureton in the 70th to score with ease after substitute Sam Teale had completely mis-timed an interception and at 2-0, the game had a completely different complexion.
The last time Frome had bumped into Cureton, he scored twice in the 72nd and 75th minutes as Farnborough won 5-3, so it came as no real surprise that he repeated the feat with his second in the 79th, this time finishing off a move that had ripped the Frome defence apart and at 3-0 down, there was no coming back in this game.
As heads went down, the hosts made it 4-0 three minutes later as Akinyemi scored his second from a position close to the penalty spot after the ball had been headed back to him, and with Phillips making two great save to prevent an embarrassing score line, Frome were probably pleased to hear the final whistle.
The travelling fans were left to ponder how a run of five undefeated matches (including four wins) has reversed so quickly into a run of four successive league and cup defeats, conceding twelve goals in the processs.
Frome Town’s star man of the match was Jon Davies.
