Saffer strikes scupper Stortford

James Rollins was called up in midfield for his third league appearance of the season, replacing the absent Greg Page, with Luke Kennedy reassuming a role up front.

Stortford had won four out of their last five games and had home advantage on a newly laid and bouncy surface at Hockerill College, but it was the visitors who started the stronger, moving the ball with good pace on the slick pitch and building play well, utilising the advancing full-backs.

After a few promising forays forward Hertford took the lead. Ian Dunnett took a free hit in the attacking third, playing a one-two on the left with Alec Short. Dunnett wrong footed the defender on the edge of the circle and crossed with a reverse stick strike to the back post. Hertford's strikers were queuing up in anticipation, and it was van Rooyen who got there first, deftly deflecting the ball onto the backboard from five yards out.

The hosts' tactics were clear and consistent from the start. They left a large gap between the midfield and forwards, trying to get the ball high quickly and leave Hertford's defenders isolated, however, the pairing of Simon Halfacre and Ben Tootell were keeping the Stortford attackers wide and away from danger.

Some training-ground interplay was having good effect on the pitch for Hertford, weaving their way down the right-flank and feeding the leads of the forwards.
One such move earned Hertford a short corner where they doubled their lead. As Hertford got to the top of the circle play was broken down, but Rollins was quickest to react, taking a self-pass on the edge of the D and circling round to pull back for Archie Akers to find a Stortford foot. Van Rooyen made no mistake from the routine, dispatching his shot onto the sideboard with perhaps a suggestion of a deflection from the number one runner.

Just before half time Hertford were reduced to just one substitute, as Ciaran Begg picked up a foot injury, getting struck hard by the ball when closing down a defender, and was unable to make any further contribution, but despite the set back Hertford went into the break 0-2 to the good.

In an attempt to get back into the game Stortford pushed four men high in the second half, dragging back Hertford's deep-lying central midfielder. This made for an open game, and a good spectacle, with plenty of space in midfield and chances created by both teams.

Stortford earned a couple of short corners but failed to trouble Max Capaldi in the Hertford net, but their emphasis on attack left inevitable gaps and it was Hertford who got the crucial first goal of the second half.
A short corner earned by a good cross by Elliot Barling at right back, was well defended and cleared for a long corner. Nick Downer fed van Rooyen whose neat lifted skill bisected the home defence, and when the narrow angle looked more favourable for a cross than a shot, van Rooyen surprised the net-minder with a thunderous tomahawk strike to complete his third hat-trick of the season, the ball fizzing through the keeper's legs before he could react.

With nothing to lose, the home side continued to press forwards and did find a consolation as an attempted clearance in the D was picked up by a Stortford forwards who finished well into the bottom corner, but Tootell's mix of distribution was beating the host's press to prevent any further real chances on goal.

The win keeps Hertford in second place, with a five point gap to third as rivals Letchworth 2nds narrowly lost out 2-1 at Harpenden, but with Letchworth having played a game less.

Hertford: Max Capaldi; Elliot Barling, Simon Halfacre, Ben Tootell, Mike Branford; Ian Dunnett, Nick Downer, Alec Short; Luke Kennedy, Ben van Rooyen, Ciaran Begg. Subs: James Rollins, Archie Akers