Super Cooper

Hertford Men’s 1st team claimed their second win of the season away to Bishop Stortford 2nd’s on Saturday in dramatic fashion overturning a two goal deficit in the second half to win 2 – 3.

Hertford welcomed back Ben Cooper, Stan Power and Gavin Elliot to the squad and somehow managed to find to find a gap in the rain for their match, but the fair dousing the pitch had received made for fast playing conditions.

The visitors continued from where they finished last week’s match, looking confident in possession and showing some patience in the opposition half, with the home side seemingly content to threaten on the break.

Hertford continued to press and were unlucky not to take the lead as a handful of chances went begging. Nick Downer was denied by a stick-save from a drag-flicked short corner and then twice Ian Dunnett got in down the left-channel to flash across the face of goal with Finn Kennedy and then Cooper well-placed but unable to find the finishing touch.

Hertford were made to rue those missed chances as the deadlock was broken halfway through the first half. Hertford’s defence conceded a penalty corner, when trying to recover from a breakaway and when the planned routine broke down, the ball was worked around the ‘D’ before being swept in with a reverse stick, beating Max Capaldi at his near post.

Hertford reapplied themselves, and continued to enjoy control of the ball in the final third but were unable to find a leveller before the break.

The second period began in much the same pattern as the first, but with Hertford switching the ball from one flank to the other with some additional zip in an attempt to find an opening, yet it was Stortford who doubled their advantage. Another penalty corner, this time executed as planned, saw a neat one-two at the top of the circle and a pushed finish under the advancing Capaldi.

Feeling somewhat aggrieved, and with a few tensions starting to surface in the Hertford management team, persistence finally paid off with 20 minutes left to play. A pin-point free-hit from Ben Tootell found Dunnett’s lead at the top of the circle, who span onto his reverse and fired in a low cross, catching the home defence napping as captain Alec Short snuck-in front of goal to deflect home with a first-time touch.

The home side continued to defend defiantly and it seemed it was going to take something special to draw Hertford level, and that’s just what Hertford found. Elliot struck the ball into the ‘D’ and when the ball looped up off a defender’s stick the umpire played a good advantage as Dunnett brought the ball down for Cooper to latch on to, whose instant control gave him the opportunity send a reverse stick thunderbolt from the left of the ‘D’ crashing into the very top-right of the goal off the underside of the crossbar.

Buoyed by the turnaround and with Stortford’s defence tiring from strain they had been put under, the visitors completed a remarkable comeback, pressing high up the pitch and winning the ball from Stortford’s left-back. This time Cooper turned provider as he drove into the circle and flicked the ball beyond the last defender to Mike Branford, who was unmarked on the penalty spot, firing a first-time shot onto the backboard on the half volley.

Hertford had to hold out in the final minutes and perhaps didn’t show the composure they should have, but managed to scramble a final attack clear to clinch the three points.

The win leaves Hertford seventh in division 3 South-West, but having played three of the league’s top four already they will be hoping for a strong run-in to Christmas, with the chance to go above Royston who visit the Simon Balle ground next week.

Hertford: M. Capaldi; E. Barling, M. Hawes, B. Tootell, G. Elliot; A. Short (cpt), S. Power, N. Downer, I. Dunnett; B. Cooper, A. Akers. Subs: M. Branford, F. Kennedy.