He who hesitates...

Once more Hertford were forced into several changes. Centre back pairing Jamie O’Sullivan and Simon Halfacre were unavailable, the latter through a shoulder injury picked up the previous weekend, being replaced by Ben Tootell and Taylor Weeks returning to the squad. Nick Downer was back in midfield with Alec Short unavailable and lastly year’s top scorer Ben van Rooyen - making his season’s debut - and Archie Akers came in up front for the absent Darren Norman and Luke Rawlinson.

Bedford provided a completely different challenge than Hertford had encountered so far this season, as Bedford stretched the play even form their own 16s, meaning a level of work rate the Stags had to grit their teeth to get through in the early-afternoon sunshine.

The away team’s expansiveness nearly cost them in the first few minutes as first touches were found to be wanting. Arthur Twyning stole in down the left and pulled back for van Rooyen just behind the penalty-spot, but the South African pulled his shot just wide of the left post.

The van Rooyen turned provider, winning the ball high up the pitch and slipping a pass to Scott Apps, who cleverly rounded the keeper and inexplicably only found the side netting from a narrow angle with van Rooyen waiting in the goal-mouth.

The hosts did eventually get the breakthrough their early play deserved. A switched penalty corner routine was charged down a defender, with the rebound breaking to Ian Dunnett at the back post. With the route to goal crowded out the skipper swept a square pass to the waiting Luke Camilleri who took one touch to control and a second to dispatch a powerful slap-shot onto the backboard for his first competitive goal for the 1st team.

Hertford could have extended their lead movement later when a van Rooyen shot was kicked out by the goalie straight to the top of the circle, but Dunnett didn’t get connect well with his effort which was cleared by a recovering defender.

The home side were made to pay for their lack of finishing just moments before half time. A long aerial ball from near the halfway line looked to be covered off by Camilleri, but with the ball obscured by the sun he misjudged his positioning, gifting possession to the forward behind him in the circle. Tom Smith came off his line to close down but didn’t get enough on the ball with a waving left glove, allowing the Bedford attacker to walk the ball into the goal.

The second half began as an even contest with both sides enjoying spells of possession, but having to work hard to earn any opportunities. Elliot Barling was a particular thorn in Bedford’s side as he continually thwarted any attempt to get forward down the left wing.

With chances hard to come by things grew a little fractious in the middle of the park, with both Scott Apps and Ben van Rooyen having enforced two minute breaks.

It was Bedford who got their noses in front. A foray down the right hand side was played across the top of the circle, with Dunnett having to take evasive action to avoid the cross as it flew between his arm and hip, but with no whistle forthcoming a Bedford midfielder collected the ball at the top of the circle and slid a pass to a waiting forward not he back-post to deflect the ball into the net. A short ensuing conversation couldn’t change the collective umpires’ mind on their interpretation of danger, so the goal stood.

With Bedford’s hard-working set-up, the relentless warmth of a particularly mild October afternoon and carrying one fewer substitute than Bedford were starting to take their toll on Hertford whose play didn’t have the urgency of a side trying to level the affair. Balls into the D were speculative rather than incisive, with Bedford’s rear-guard picking possession well.

At the other end Hertford didn’t look like conceding any more as the experimental pairing of Camilleri and Tootell were dealing with any threat and distributing ably.

A late push by Hertford eventually evened things up. Van Rooyen received the ball with his back to goal and used some clever lifted skill to earn a penalty corner in the final five minutes of the game. Apps stepped up to deliver a powerful low drag-flick which beat the goalie and - despite a deflection or two - the defender on the line for his seventh of the season.

The draw sees Hertford extend their unbeaten run to four games, retaining third in the table, just below their opponents, although they will be looking to get back to winning ways next Saturday when they travel to face eighth-placed Ipswich-East Suffolks 2nds.

Hertford - Tom Smith; Elliot Barling, Ben Tootell, Luke Camilleri, Taylor Weeks; Ian Dunnett, James Rollins, Nick Downer; Scott Apps, Ben van Rooyen, Arthur Twyning. Subs: Luke Brown, Archie Akers