Hertford Send Southgate Adelaide Down Under

Vice Captain Jamie O’Sullivan returned at the heart of defence, replacing the absent Simon Halfacre, and Darren Norman made his eleventh appearance of the season in the forward line with Ciaran Begg unavailable.

The match couldn’t have started better for the hosts, scoring in the first minute as Luke Kennedy weaved in typical fashion and fed Nick Downer who - in a rare forward role - looked to have been forced too wide for a shot, but deftly flicked across the goal finding the opposite side netting for his seventh of the season.
The lead was doubled shortly afterwards as a combination which has threatened all season paid dividends. Norman hit a shot-come-cross at the left of the circle, with Kennedy well placed to make sure at the back post with a simple deflection.
Norman then got on the score-sheet himself as Hertford continued to apply pressure. Alec Short driving around the right hand side of the D and picking out Norman on the penalty spot who swept home with aplomb.
Hertford had taken on board the pre-match team talk, and were determined to score the easy goal rather than going for the spectacular, adding three more before half time as Downer netted a brace from Norman’s set-up, Norman then getting his second as Kennedy was the provider again, and then Kennedy completed a hat-trick of assists, setting up Mike Branford - back in a midfield role - for his first goal of the season.

Hertford did have a lapse just before the interval as confusion over a free hit on the edge of their defensive 23 metre line was struck into the D and collected by a forward who struck on his reverse stick across Capaldi into the left corner to make the half time score six-one to the hosts.

Predictably the visiting side tried to keep things respectable in the second half and made it very hard for Hertford to break them down, quite often keeping ten or all eleven men behind the ball.

It was well into the second half when Norman finally got the ball over the line - completing his hat trick in the process - sneaking his shot in at the near post after more industriousness from Short along the right hand base line.

Hertford made it eight-one with five minutes left when a good dribble from Archie Akers earned a penalty corner, and when the rebound fell kindly for Ben Tootell he showed good composure to commit the keeper and flick high into the net.

James Rollins was set up by Downer to complete the rout with a solid strike from the right of the D that made a satisfying sound as it struck the backboard and secured Rollins his maiden goal for the men’s 1st team.

The win keeps Hertford in 2nd place in division 3SW, but there is now only four points separating the top three, as table-topping Berkhamsted suffered their first defeat of the season to third placed Letchworth 2nds.
Next week’s encounter is likely to prove a tougher test for Hertford as they travel to mid-table Luton Town.

Hertford: Max Capaldi; Elliot Barling, Jamie O’Sullivan, Ben Tootell, Oliver de Roeck; Ian Dunnett, Alec Short, Mike Branford; Archie Akers, Nick Downer, Luke Kennedy Subs: James Rollins, Darren Norman