Wales without Gareth Bale - scrape a win

The chat around Hertford prior to Saturday was all around how they would do without the skipper. Such an influential player, idolised by many, overseeing a revolution. It was going to be a difficult future without Rooney, but it had to happen...

There were no such qualms about skipper Layfield schlepping off to Wales for his stag do with vice captain Renn in tow. But he had clearly decided to sabotage the 3rds unbeaten start to the season by a push back time that was so early it was practically Friday....

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Well I had one of those festival passes, courtesy of Schweppes tonic (the original and still the best) ,which partly explained my slight tardiness on Saturday morning to Bishops Stortford. It was good to see the rest of the squad raring to go and the 13 good men and true were waiting for a good luck message from the skipper. However the only word we had received from across the Severn was that Layfield had gone to a Welsh leisure centre. Most of the lads thought this a little tame for his stag, until it was pointed out that a Welsh leisure centre is in fact just a sheep tied to a lamp post and Layfield was making the most of the different postcode rules...

I digress. Stand in skipper Miles gave a rousing speech to send us on our way and it had the desired effect. Throughout the team there was a fire and desire and we were first to every ball on the new AstroTurf. It seemed as if it would only be a matter of time before the damn burst and we would breakthrough. But the Stortford keeper was either in inspired form or was a regular player at a higher level. It didn't matter either way, it was up to us to make the most of our dominance and to keep plugging away.

Wave after wave of Hertford attacks were repelled by the Stortford custodian but eventually the pressure told when debutant Jason Munns broke the deadlock. It was no more than we deserved and at half time the discussion was balanced and focused on simply carrying on in the same vein

At the start of the second half, we continued with great defensive pressure and wonderful passing hockey - the training is really starting to pay off.

However, despite all the pressure a rogue short corner from Stortford was forced home and against all the odds, Hertford were pegged back to all square.

To be honest this was the sort of match that previous incarnations of a third team would have gone on to lose, bemoaning the bad fortune and an opposition keeper who was a ringer. But within a minute we were back in front. Straight from the push back we drove into the D and a fierce strike ricocheted at waist height away from goal. After a cricket season where I was averaging under 50 with the bat and nearly 50 gin and tonics from the night before my volleyed attempt beat the keeper but not the post frustratingly. Fortunately for me, another debutant in Luke (who'd already had a perfectly good goal chalked off in the first half) was doing what every good forward should do and follow up and not ball watch. He despatched the rebound with aplomb and eyes bulging in passionate celebration rightly looked delighted with his effort.

To be honest it lead to a passage of play where Stortford became frustrated and some sporting challenges lead to some friction between the two sides. It never stepped over the line as the match was umpired superbly and once Clive had lashed one effort home, at 3 1 the stuffing went out of the home team

Clive had looked sharp all match and deservedly got a second to round off the best display of the season. 4 - 1 win, missing a number of experienced players, the future looks bright. Let's hope that Layfield makes it back alive and wasn't mistaken for a woolly jumper anytime during the weekend....