Berkhamsted Best Stags

Hertford were without a host of players, including an attacking quintet representing more than 65% of the goals scored so far this season in Darren Norman, Ben van Rooyen, Greg Page, Ciaran Begg and Nick Downer. To add to the selection difficulties, goalkeeper Max Capaldi (having won man of the match for the previous two weeks) was also unavailable.

2nd team captain Finn Kennedy was drafted to play alongside younger brother Luke up front, with Ben Cooper asked to step in from an extended leave of absence. Alec Short returned from injury in midfield with Ben Tootell making his first appearance since September and Tom Smith filling the hole between the sticks.

The visitors started on top, keeping the ball well and feeding an isolated forward, comfortable either driving at the D or holding up play and waiting for support. The hosts were let off as a couple of early penalty corners broke down with the injection not finding its mark.
Hertford were trying to relieve the pressure through the aerial outlets from full-backs Oliver de Roeck and Elliot Barling, but Berkhamsted were quick to retrieve possession and push forward.

Against the run of play it was the home side who took the lead. Berkhamsted, perhaps guilty of over-committing forwards, left space in behind their defence. A ball down the left channel found Finn Kennedy in space who played a square pass to brother Luke. Kennedy the younger showed composure beyond his years, dragging the ball across goal, wrong-footing the goalie and calmly slotting the ball the opposite way inside the near post for his fourth of the season.

The visitors weren’t behind for long. Another penalty corner which broke down found its way to their danger man. Despite being driven wide by the defender, he was able to finish with a reverse stick strike from a narrow angle, through the legs of Smith.

Hertford had a golden chance to retake the lead as a verbal outburst from the visiting net-minder saw him receive a green card and have to be sidelined for two minutes, however some excellent running from the defenders on the line from the resulting penalty corner denied Finn Kennedy’s flick from reaching it’s target and then some territorial play prevented Hertford from capitalising on the advantage, and it was only a late gloved save from Smith that prevented a reverse stick effort as it was glanced onto the crossbar.

There were plenty of tough challenges being made across the park, with Hertford’s squad being reduced to twelve. Simon Halfacre closed down Berkhamsted’s goal-scorer as he tried to shoot on the turn, but despite an excellent tackle, the forward’s stick accidentally followed-through on to the scalp of Halfacre, who was shipped off the pitch and on to A&E to have it glued back together after spilling a dramatic amount of claret onto the pitch.

The stoppage in the game, and resultant positional shuffles unsettled Hertford, and Berkhamsted took advantage minutes before half time. A wobbling run from Berkhamsted’s forward right to left across the top of the D saw a few reaching tackles, but they didn’t prevent a reverse stick strike that had too much power to allow Smith to react to make it 1-2 at the break.

The competitiveness of the encounter continued in the second half, if anything becoming even more feisty.
The away side continued to press and win penalty corners, but without further success. The host’s defence had been cautioned just after half time given the nature of some tackles in the first half, and Elliot Barling was the first to feel the repercussions of this as he was given a yellow card when making a recovering tackle.

The contest was becoming a bit more even with Hertford venturing forwards, but a breakdown in play - and a decent slice of luck - led to the away team extending their lead. The same Berkhamsted forward picked up the ball on the halfway line, but when the ball appeared to come up off his own stick and into his body it wasn’t spotted by either umpire, and with Hertford slow to react allowed a run on goal. The forward rounded Smith’s sliding challenge, only for Jamie O’Sullivan to scramble back and reach over the top of the stick to make a challenge with the goal gaping. The umpire adjudged it to be an unfair attempt to win the ball and hence a penalty stroke was awarded and duly converted to make it 1-3.

Hertford responded through a penalty stroke of their own. Good endeavour down the left and a cross into the D was deflected onto a foot for a penalty corner. Cooper’s dragged effort on goal rebounded to Short, who has just about to pull the trigger with the keeper lying prone, only for a defender to cynically place his foot in front of the ball. Ben Tootell stepped up to nonchalantly slot home the flick, making it 2-3, but was rewarded with a two minute suspension for his efforts after exchanging a few words with Berkhamsted’s goalie.

Hertford strained every sinew in going for the equaliser, pressing high and trying to threaten on goal. Mike Branford over-stretched in an attempt to win the ball in midfield, going to ground and taking his man with him, earning him a 5-minute enforced rest.
In throwing men forward the inevitable gaps opened up at the other end, and when Bekhamstead finally managed to execute a penalty corner to plan, their key-man completed the scoring, and his hat-trick, with a well-placed drag flick, low to Smith’s right.

Despite the loss Hertford remain in second place in division 3SW, ahead of Welwyn Garden City on goal difference at the halfway stage.

Next week is the final game before the Christmas break when a more recognisable looking Hertford side will host Stevenage in the return fixture of the opening weekend of the season.

Hertford: Tom Smith; Elliot Barling, Jamie O’Sullivan, Simon Halfacre, Oliver de Roeck; Ben Tootell, Ian Dunnett, Michael Branford; Archie Akers, Luke Kennedy. Finn Kennedy. Subs: Alec Short, Ben Cooper.