Stags Strike as Stortford Slip

Hertford returned to winning ways on Saturday with a comfortable 3-1 win over Bishop Stortford 2nds.

Finn Kennedy returned to the squad, replacing the injured Jeremiah Donogue, in an otherwise unchanged line-up.
The hosts were debuting a 4-3-3 formation from the start, and started much the stronger, controlling the ball in midfield, and stretching the visitor's defence with high-leading forward play.

It didn't take long for the deadlock to be broken, as a neatly worked move down the right got in behind Stortford, but Ben van Rooyen was fouled when trying to work a shot from the angle. A training-ground routine from the resulting penalty corner was deftly deflected in by captain Alec Short for his third of the campaign.

The away side were struggling to cope as Hertford attacked at will down either flank. Barely ten minutes had passed when a foray down the left and a pass flashed across the goalmouth gave the hosts a chance to double their lead, with a penalty stroke being awarded, after it was adjudged that Ciaran Begg had been denied a goal-scoring opportunity at the back post. Nick Downer stepped up and calmly slotted home to take himself into double figures for the season, with half of that number coming from the spot.

Stortford did start to make their mark on the game, finding outlets to two wily and experienced centre forwards, cutting in and dribbling at the D, but they were kept at bay - to their constant frustration - by the centre back pairing of Ben Tootell and Jamie O'Sullivan.

Tootell did become a little over zealous in his tackling duties, reaching into a challenge, seeing green and the consequent 2-minute suspension, but those home side remained relatively untroubled.

The lead might have been extended just before half time, when Ian Dunnett worked an angle from a long corner, striking a reverse stick cross into the danger area, but this time Short's deflection couldn't find the required angle with the first half ending with Hertford two goals to the good.

Hertford continued in an attacking mindset as the second period got underway, peppering the Stortford D, but unable to quite find their mark. Dunnett had an open shot from the top of the circle which was well saved, before Mike Branford cut in and saw his strike come back off the post, with two follow-up opportunities from Kennedy and van Rooyen somehow evading the target. Kennedy went close again minutes later as a deflected pass from van Rooyen gave him a chance at the back-post, but the ball arrived a little too quickly for the young forward to react.

The hosts did eventually get a third. Stortford were caught trying to dribble out of defence. Tootell seized on the loose ball, slotting a diagonal pass into van Rooyen on the left of the D. The South African only needed two touches to control and unleash a reverse-stick strike which cannoned into the far corner for his eighth in eight appearances.

Relaxing a little Hertford did provide the visitors with a few opportunities, mainly through the penalty corner route. Stan Power neatly turning one effort off the line, but the tantalisingly close clean sheet was lost, when a subsequent set-piece was shifted to the right and purposefully struck home at the near post to make it 3-1.

Neither side were able to create anything clear-cut I'm the final stages, with Hertford capturing the three points.

The win keeps Hertford seventh in the division, in a tightly-clustered mid-table with fourth placed Stevenage only 4pts above them. This Saturday Hertford travel to tenth-placed Royston and will be looking to improve on the 1-1 scoreline the last time the sides met.

Hertford: Max Capaldi; Elliot Barling, Ben Tootell, Jamie O'Sullivan, Stan Power; Alec Short, Ian Dunnett, Nick Downer; Ciaran Begg, Ben van Rooyen, Archie Akers. Subs: Mike Branford, Finn Kennedy.