Report
As with last season, Walthamstow started the season with a 2-2 draw in a game where they had enough chances to win.
There were some new faces in the starting line-up, with debuts handed to Ross and Craig Pope, Ryan Ramsey, Jake Giddens and James Peagram, and returns for Lee Flynn and Jack Leachman.
The opening quarter of an hour was a cagey affair before Stow found their feet. Peagram went close with a speculative half-volley from outside the box which had the keeper scrambling.
A few minutes later though, Peagram was put through on goal, and holding off two defenders, he rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net.
The lead didn’t last long though as Scott Hayes was left unmarked from a corner, allowing the defender to tap in at the back post.
And just before half time, Hayes made it 2-1, with an almost exact replica of the first goal, but this time scoring with his head.
Hoddesdon barely forced a shot on target in open play, and the second half would be one-way traffic as Stow searched to get back in the game.
Christian Owusu was dangerous all afternoon, and almost scored a wonder-goal, dancing around three tackles in the box before eventually being thwarted by the keeper.
But with an hour to played, Owusu got his first goal of the season, somehow sending a looping header over the keeper when practically on the bye-line.
Peagram, Leachman and Tony DaSilva all went close before the game was up, but Hoddesdon’s game management saw them hold on to a point.