Berkhamsted V 1 - 4 Hertford VI

Berkhamsted V 1 - 4 Hertford VI

They wuz robbed! Berkhamsted could easily have been 4 - 0 up after 25 minutes but for their own weak final touch and toothless short corner routine, and three spectacular saves from MotM Clive Izzard, standing in for Nicholas in goal. A skilled but veteran Berko pushed nine men up the pitch and pinned us in our own last 3rd, and cut off everything we tried to get the ball up to our strikers. Led by your captain's bad example, we gave them the ball time after time, often in perilous positions, but at least we scrapped back every time, the marking held most of the time and they didn't have too many ideas apart from belting it down the middle into our D.

Tor gave a warning what we might achieve on the break, rounding the keeper neatly but not giving himself quite enough angle, but only in the last 10 minutes did we start to string some threating possession together, led by Ewen Macpherson and Chris Duncan's incisive combinations down the right wing. Dave got the ball in the net from a resulting short corner but was ruled illegal.

Now what do they say about a game of two halves? We still looked shakey at the back, but the front line dropped deeper and we started to find the gaps. George got the measure of a slow and slippery surface and together with Tor and Chris Duncan we had a front line that could make mincemeat of a slow defence. Dave Harding made no mistake with the first short corner after the break. With 55 gone Dave was on hand again to the push over after a goalmouth scramble. When Berko got back from a short corner with 10 to go, and we began to look wobbly again, Tor collected a long pass and sent George away with neat through ball. George one on one with the keeper, there was only going to be one winner. Icing on the cake, the last goal was a lovely move down the left, Rian moved it right across the head of the D, everyone seemed to get a touch moving it back left again until Chris Dean got the final strike past a stranded keeper.

Best part of the game was the patience and confidence we showed up front, timing passes and keeping the ball moving around and within their D until a clear opportunity arose. As long as our luck holds at the back, we have an attacking line that is beginning to look seriously dangerous.

Five consecutive away wins in the league! Is it something about long car drives that focuses our skills and energy? Should we meet an hour early for home games and go for a spin down the A10?

Keep it going on Saturday!