An enthralling seven-goal encounter on Saturday saw Hertford lose for the first time in 2016, falling by the slenderest of margins to table-topping Potters Bar.

Gavin Elliot returned to the side to make his first appearance since November, but Stan Power was unable to come through an early-morning fitness test and so the hosts were reduced to carrying a single substitute into the game.

The tie ebbed and flowed throughout, but it was Hertford who started on top, looking to be on the front foot in midfield and to give their pacey looking forwards a chance to run at the visitors’ defence. Ben van Rooyen went one-on-one with the last defender after being set up by Ian Dunnett’s aerial pass, but was forced a little too wide to test the goalie and then a quick interchange down the left set Dunnett free through the middle who in turn found Ciaran Begg free in the D. Begg had his first shot blocked by the on-rushing goalkeeper, but found a defender’s foot when he got a second chance to win the first penalty corner of the game. The routine didn’t go to plan, but in recovering, van Rooyen had the chance to shoot slightly wide of the target, only to find Ben Tootell –who had ghosted in to the back post following his injection – with lightening reactions to artfully deflect the ball onto the backboard.

Somewhat perturbed by the goal Potters Bar worked their way into the game, and quickly levelled. A penalty corner of their own was well-save by Max Capaldi, but the clearance only found a striker who needed no second invitation to finish with aplomb.

It was barely two minutes later when the away team took the lead. An innocuous looking cross from the left hand side wasn’t dealt with. Capaldi committed to make the save, but the rebound went to a Potters Bar player at the back post who flicked home with Capaldi still grounded.

The visitors could have extended their lead, but were denied by Begg on the goal-line who had run fully 80-yards to make a recovering tackle after losing the ball in the final third. An effort that didn’t go unnoticed in a man-of-the-match performance.

Hertford redoubled their efforts in an attempt to respond before half time. Another penalty corner nearly saw them level the tie as a neat one-two move was only denied on the line by a brave defender.

Finding some rhythm again, patient passing and ball possession around defence created space down the right channel. Elliot Barling drove forward and sent a piercing diagonal ball into Alec Short, who played tikka-takka with van Rooyen to eliminate the last defender, with van Rooyen unleashing a bullet-strike, beating the goalie at the near-post to make the net bulge and maintain his 100% scoring record.

The second half continued in the same manner as the first, with some free flowing hockey and chances at both ends; Potters bar firstly rolling the ball past the far post when one-on-one, and then Capaldi making a diving clearance with his stick, when a square pass for an open goal looked likely. Perhaps against the run of play, it was Hertford who struck next. Dunnett self-passed a long-corner and went on his reverse side to drive around the Potters Bar defence. His reverse-stick cross wasn’t hit cleanly, but if anything the bobbling of the ball helped it beat the lunging sticks of several defenders and skip across the goalmouth. Van Rooyen couldn’t connect with his attempted shot, but Nick Downer was on hand to play a high-elbowed cover-drive back across goal and into the net to register his ninth of the season in 13 appearances.

Once again Hertford were unable to hold onto their lead for very long, and it was another penalty corner that allowed the league leaders to pull level. The centre-forward jinked around Barling’s closing down run and drag-flicked into the bottom corner despite Jamie O’Sullivan’s best efforts on the only able to edge the ball up into the net.

The lack of substitutes was beginning to take its toll on Hertford, as their midfield tired and the game opened up, becoming an end-to-end affair, but it was Potters Bar who took the lead with ten minutes to play. It was yet another penalty corner. Capaldi once more making good contact with the first save, but the rebound was collected on the right of the D, and when Hertford weren’t quick enough to close down the forward picked his spot and firmly struck a finish.

In the dying minutes Hertford pushed on. Another penalty corner attempt went close through Downer and then Begg had two chances denied; firstly a point-blank save from a first-time deflection and then after skilfully beating the last two defenders following van Rooyen’s pass, he was unable to find the matching finish.

The loss leaves Hertford seventh in the table, with a trip to third-placed Winchmore Hill & Enfield scheduled for next Saturday.

Hertford: Max Capaldi; Elliot Barling, Ben Tootell, Jamie O’Sullivan, Gavin Elliot; Jeremiah Donogue, Ian Dunnett, Nick Downer, Alec Short (cpt); Ben van Rooyen, Ciaran Begg. Sub: Mike Branford.