Hertford Halted as Harpenden Hold fast

Max Capaldi returned in goal for Hertford, replacing Tom Smith, and Stan Power was called up to replace the injured Oliver de Roeck.

Some overnight rain had created a quick and skiddy surface for the two sides to cope with, and it was the hosts who got to grips with the conditions faster and took early advantage, as the ball was played into the D from the left flank, where a centre forward received with his back to goal near the penalty spot. He neatly hit the ball on the turn, squeezing the shot up into the air nestling into the side-netting beyond Capaldi’s left glove.

Hertford took this as a wake-up call and started to gain control of the game, holding the ball through midfield and venturing further forward, but without really testing the Harpenden goalkeeper.

A good passing move gave Ben van Rooyen the chance to shoot from the top of the circle, but his reverse stick effort went over the crossbar, before Darren Norman skilfully got to the baseline and pulled the ball back across the goalmouth where it somehow evaded all of his teammates.

Hertford did eventually level before half-time. Nick Downer took the aerial route down the left channel, where Norman’s deflected take-down won a long corner. Ian Dunnett took the corner before the home defence had organised itself, driving across the pitch and shooting across goal. The shot wasn’t the strongest, but the Harpenden net minder got his feet in a tangle as the ball found its way on to the backboard to level the scores at the break.

Hertford continued to dominate in the second half, with the defence stepping up and wining the ball in front of the Harpenden attackers, and looking a little more patient in the build-up.

van Rooyen received a quick free-hit at the top of the circle, but couldn’t make his shot count, then Luke Kennedy produced a typical deft touch to wriggle free, before placing his tomahawk wide, and then agonisingly Dunnett picked up a rebound on the penalty spot, but was punished for his unselfishness, as he passed the wrong side of Norman waiting on the back-post.

Hertford made the pressure count as they took the lead. A rare foray into the final third from Elliot Barling at right-back gave him the chance to pass into the circle, but the ball missed its intended target, while wrong-footing two of the host’s defenders, ending up in van Rooyen’s possession on the baseline who calmly dribbled across the face of goal and nudged the ball home for his second of the season.

Harpenden pushed for the equaliser, leaving themselves a little exposed at the back. Hertford had two breakaway chances with greater numbers, but didn’t fashion a firm opening, while the home side were relying on posting-up high and trying to win set pieces. A straight strike from a short corner was well saved by Capaldi, before a second corner routine a few minutes later was similarly struck from the top of the circle found its way beyond Capaldi’s left foot and away from Jamie O’Sullivan’s stick on the line to level the scores with less than ten minutes to play.

Hertford looked like the most likely to score in the final stages, but couldn’t make any chance count as the match finished at two apiece.

The draw keeps Hertford second in division three southwest, as other team around them also faltered, with the top five now separated by only a single point. Next week Hertford host eleventh placed Bishop Stortford 2nds at the Simon Balle ground.

Hertford: Max Capaldi; Elliot Barling, Jamie O’Sullivan, Mike Hawes, Mike Branford; Nick Downer, Ian Dunnett, Alec Short; Archie Akers, Ben van Rooyen, Darren Norman. Subs: Stan Power, Archie Akers.