Stags Start Strongly, Storming to Success at Stevenage

Following a 4-0 friendly win the previous weeks, Hertford wanted to go in to the season's opener in confident mood, however, having eight players unavailable and a further three injured meant captain Ian Dunnett - taking on the role in his fourth season at the club - had to delve deep into his squad and carry only a single substitute, with summer signings Oliver deRoeck and Simon Halfacre making their competitive debuts.

The visitors started on the front foot, looking the more lively, with the attacking three pressurising defenders on the ball and forcing mistakes, however with an unfamiliar line-up, the understanding and communication didn't enable Hertford to capitalise on a number of chances; Darren Norman saw a shot well saved at the near post before Dunnett's reverse stick sweep went agonisingly wide.

Keeping up the pace of play, Hertford did edge ahead before half time as a quick free hit on the edge of the 23 metre line caught the hosts out of position and when a ball into the D squirmed under a defender's stick, Archie Akers was able to nudge the ball out from under the keeper's nose for Norman to push home from no more than a stick's length.

Stevenage shuffled their formation at half time to try to provide more support for their centre forward who had been isolated and ably marshalled by Ben Tootell and Halfacre, and it paid dividends. Before Hertford had managed to adjust to the change, a straight ball up the centre of the pitch created a break-away, with Max Capaldi left outnumbered. a square pass left an open goal for Stevenage to level the tie.

As both sides wrestled for control of the match, the game entered a scratchy and occasionally fractious ten minutes. Stevenage were down to ten men when a green card was shown for bad reaction to a Halfacre tackle, which was a regular feature in his man-of-the-match performance, before the numbers were levelled as DeRoeck had a two minute enforced rest for a clumsy challenge. But only moments later it was then ten versus nine as Stevenage then had a yellow card shown for a recovering runner never getting the right side of the Hertford player before he lunged in.

The reduced numbers on the pitch allowed the visitors more space which enabled them to reestablish a stranglehold, keeping the ball for long periods and eventually making the possession count, when a switched move gave Mike Branford plenty of time on the left channel to find the right ball into the circle where Norman doubled his tally with a first time shot on the turn, squeezing its way in at the near post.

Now in the ascendency, Hertford kept the pressure up through a succession of penalty corners, but were struggling to convert. They thought they might have a penalty stroke awarded when a ball to the back post was turned towards goal by Tootell, only to strike a defender when goalbound, but after conferring the umpires adjudged the shot to have been hit, and high, and so turned down the appeal. Tootell audibly disagreed and was duly shown a yellow card.

Despite the numerical disadvantage Hertford extended their lead. A neat passing move down the right hand side opened up the D, and as Dunnett tried to set-up Stan Power a Stevenage foot blocked the way. The resulting penalty corner was slipped to Marcus Stirling on the left of the D, who only needed two touches to control and fire through the netminder to seal the victory.

This Saturday the Simon Balle ground will see the visit of Welwyn Garden City, when Hertford will be looking to continue their run of form against their Hertfordshire rivals, having taken six points from them last season.

Hertford - Max Capaldi; Elliot Barling, Ben Tootell, Simon Halfacre, Oliver deRoeck; Stan Power, Ian Dunnett, Mike Branford; Darren Norman, Archie Akers, Ciaran Begg. Sub: Marcus Stirling.