Good Start to 2016

Hertford Men’s 1st team began 2016 with a closely contested encounter, emerging the victors by the smallest margin in a five-goal-affair at Stevenage on Saturday.

Jamie O’Sullivan retained his place at centre-back, with defensive pair Gavin Elliot and Mike Hawes remaining side-lined through injury. New father Ben Cooper was unavailable, requiring James Begg (older brother of Ciaran) to make his second appearance of the season.

Hertford gelled from the start, and managed to look like they weren’t suffering too much from the season’s festivities and five week break. Fluid movement and decent ball-speed across the park allowed them to find space and venture into the attacking third. Stevenage, by contrast, were slower off the mark and to react to the umpires’ whistles.

It was one of these lapses that gave Hertford the lead. Stevenage didn’t respond to an attacking free-hit, just outside their-defensive 23 metre line as Ian Dunnett quickly played the ball wide to Mike Branford. Branford in turn slid a penetrating pass into the danger area where Ben van Rooyen stole a march on his marker to angle a deflection into the net, over the logging net-minder.

Hertford possibly relaxed too much at this point, and the hosts woke up. A central playmaker was causing all the damage, and when he was afforded space in the final third, he drove through the Hertford backline and fired in a short from a narrow angle to level the scores.

Hertford then went 2-1 down. In trying to play the ball out of defence they made one pass to many and lost possession. The same Stevenage danger man turned provider beating one man and squaring to forward unmarked on the penalty spot, who controlled with one touch and flicked past Max Capaldi in the Hertford goal with a second.

Re-establishing some composure Hertford began to move the ball with some conviction and worked their way back into the match. Two short-corner opportunities came and went; the first just deflected around the post from van Rooyen’s strike and a second from a neatly worked move resulting in Nick Downer just unable to apply the final touch.

Hertford did finally return the tie to parity before half-time. A neat through-ball down the left channel found van Rooyen’s high run, bypassing most of the Stevenage defence. His pass to Ciaran Begg at the top of the circle drew the goalkeeper off his line and when Begg changed his shooting angle and took the goalie out of the equation his swept reverse-stick shot could only be deflected up into the net by one of the recovering defenders, to register his first goal for the Men’s top-side.

Buoyed by a good end to the half Hertford dominated proceedings for the early stages of the second period, pressing Stevenage deep in their half and fashioning a number of openings, but without managing to edge in front.

The home side’s midfield were tiring, leaving their forwards unsupported, and reduced to playing on the break, however there remained a threat when Hertford stepped too high and left gaps. In a man-of-the-match performance, O’Sullivan snuffed out the threat, bravely clearing off the line on one occasion and continually stepping in front of his man and ably distributing to his full-backs. The tiredness in the home-ranks was evident as they received a few green cards for time wasting, hitting the ball away and for sloppy recovery tackles.

When O’Sullivan and Tootell didn’t quite hold Stevenage at bay, they found an in-form Capaldi difficult to beat, firstly stopping an almost point-blank effort and then making excellent ground to his left to smother another opportunity when the Stevenage forward appeared to have an open-goal.

Having played the better team hockey Hertford deservedly went in front. A typical mazy run into the D by Nick Downer was unceremoniously halted. The resulting penalty corner was gloved away by the goalie, but only as far as van Rooyen on the left of the D, who pivoted and found Ciaran Begg six yards out. Begg’s pushed shot found its way through the crowded goal-month, nestling in the bottom corner with the keeper unsighted.

The visitors saw out the remaining minutes to hold on for the three points. The win lifts Hertford to sixth, above Stevenage in the table with a trip to fifth-placed Luton this Saturday.

Hertford – Max Capaldi; Elliot Barling, Ben Tootell, Jamie O’Sullivan, Stan Power; Jeremiah Donogue Nick Downer, Ian Dunnett, Mike Branford; Ben van Rooyen, Ciaran Begg. Subs: Alec Short, James Begg