A much-changed Reserve side suffered their first league defeat since mid-September as they went down to a clinical Met Police Bushey at Aldenham Road.

The scoreline suggests a drubbing for Sean Ennis’ side, but it was anything but as the hosts killer instinct ultimately proved the difference in an entertaining encounter.

Ennis was just thankful to field a side in the end though, as late withdrawals from the squad meant that the ‘A’ team had to call their game off for the second time this season, although they were down to the very bare bones themselves.

Baldock were forced into seven changes from the side that started at Standon & Puckeridge last time out, but it was one of the four survivors that opened the scoring within the first 10 minutes.

In-form Wayne Blows pounced on a poor throw out by the home keeper, which then forced the custodian into bringing down the Reserves top scorer.  The referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty and Blows picked himself up to tuck away the spot kick.

Unfortunately, the visitors bright start soon turned to despair as the Met were gifted an equaliser.  Keeper Jon Marlow came to the near post to collect a harmless looking cross, but as Simon Efford tried to get out of the way, the ball struck him, wrong-footing Marlow and the home forward prodded into an empty net for a real howler.

The Met then had a goal disallowed, but took the lead shortly after when the ball was worked in behind Sam Crow at right back and a low drive across goal was spilled by Marlow into the path of a home player who couldn’t miss.

Despite going behind, the visitors were still playing some excellent stuff and a move involving Jon Bond, Allan Gray and Blows set up Lee Rusbridge and his 25-yard drive was parried just wide by the keeper.

Blows then tested the reflexes of the keeper again when his shot from just inside of the box was tipped around the post.  However, the best chance to level fell to debutant Laurence Allard.  A Rusbridge corner went through a crowd into the path of Crow who jinked past a defender before pulling back for Allard, who was unable to convert from five yards out.

It was that lack of decisiveness that was to prove the visitors downfall as another opportunistic attempt from a home forward found the bottom corner from the edge of the box just before the break.

It was difficult to criticise the performance at the interval as Town had probably been the better side, but still found themselves 3-1 behind and with it all to do.

In the second half, the home side tightened things up and chance were less forthcoming.  Town had resorted to long channelled balls and stopped the short, sharp passing which had been the catalyst to their best chances early on.

The Met were certainly looking the more threatening on the break and it was from a swift counter attack that they got the killer fourth goal.  After a Town attack had broken down, a quick break down the left saw the defence horribly exposed and a fine low cross into the box was excellently dispatched.

To their credit, Baldock continued to probe and a throughball by Rusbridge set Blows in behind late on, but again the home keeper was equal to it as the Town forward tried to lift the ball over him.

As with any match, the management were disappointed to lose, but there were so many positives that there was no reason to feel anything other than upbeat.  The players who stepped up from the A’s were superb, particularly Rhett Monahan and Simon Efford, but nearly everyone played their part on a difficult afternoon.

Reserves: Marlow, Crow, M.Shelley, Monahan, Efford, Allard(Mongston 55), Bond(Wooding-Aquart 85), Rusbridge, Blows, A.Furness, Gray(Duigan 70)  Subs Not Used: Matussa, Goude