League Veterans Welcome Hertford To New League

Hertford's first game of the season saw them take on an East London who had been established in the Div 2 South league for some time and experience paid off as East London eventually grab the crucial goals to earn them victory at Balles Park.

The game began at a high tempo with both teams coming out of the gates at full speed despite it being the first game of the season. The damp weather saw the usually dead pitch turn into the quick, high tempo pitch the home team loved to play on. Hertford knew they would have to be disciplined for this fixture against a well drilled and skilful opponent, who finished 5th last season. East London piled on the pressure early on but couldn't capitalise on their chances as Hertford remained composed and compact at the pack to see off multiple waves in the first 10 minutes. This attitude paid off as the home team grabbed the first goal of the game thanks for a well worked move down the left hand side which eventually made it's way into the D for a goal mouth scramble before Darren Norman popped up to squeeze it past the keeper.

Soon after grabbing the first, Hertford should have seen themselves go 2 up. Norman worked back well to steal the ball off of the East London left back and drove forward with pace, moving the ball around the oncoming centre back. His pass at the top of the D saw the unlikely source of Elliot Barling on the penalty spot who knocked the ball square of the encroaching keeper towards Arthur Twyning at the back post. Unfortunately the ball picked up a bobble and Twyning was unable to make enough contact on it to divert it into the back of the net.

With the let off, East London grew back into the game and just before half time they saw themselves get their first short corner of the game after a stick tackle inside the D. The short was run down by number 1 runner Elliot Barling who was unlucky to catch it on the end of his foot to conceed a second short corner. Luck was on East Londons side for the second short corner as the injection fell the wrong side of the stopper, passing Barling at the top of the D, the stopper took it on his strong side and took a strike at goal which caught the end of Simon Halfacre's reached out stick and lifted above the logged body of goalkeeper Tom Smith. Both teams went into the break level.

The second half began very much like how the first half ended with Hertford looking to use their speed up front to catch the away team on the break. This worked for most of the first half however 10 minutes into the second half, East London grabbed their second as a run from the midfield caused the home team to be outnumbered at the back and a precise ball into the D met the stick of a late running midfielder who knocked it passed the helpless Thomas Smith.

Despite Hertford's best efforts, they couldn't capitalise on multiple short corners and a few scrappy moment in the D and as the second half went on, Hertford changed the 3 at the back to try and grab the equaliser. With 10 minutes the go, injury struck the Stags who saw Jamie O'Sullivan have to retire after a strike at goal after the umpires whistle had gone for a short corner, saw him sustain an injury to his left knee. East London then scored from the resulting short to make it 3-1 and soon after grabbed their 4th of the game to seal the 3 points. The away team could have grabbed a 5th after Simon Halfacre was unlucky to concede a penalty flick when a low drag flick caught his shin as he stepped off of his post. However, the heroics of Smith in goal saw the penalty flick saved with his stick high up in the top left corner of the goal, a save he won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Hertford travel to Chelmsford on Saturday where they will be faced with another well drilled opposition but will look to bounce back after a good performance against East London which was not reflected in the scoreline.

MOM: James Rollins