Hertford VI 2 - 1 Berkhamsted V

It took us 13 months and 17 games, but at long last Hertford Men's 6s have won a home game!! 2 nil-nil draws was the best we managed all last season.

We looked well on top in the first quarter, but despite a barrage of short corners we were a bit one-dimensional and couldn't get past their keeper until Nick Hughes slapped in a rebound via a defender's deflection for his first goal for the club...in fact his first goal ever.

Juggling a big substitution rota, play opened out after that with both teams fluffing promising chances and both keepers having to make some smart saves.

Despite a real push to reassert control after half time it was Berkhamsted who took a well worked equaliser, but we still looked just the better side and after Dave Hardings cracker into the corner from the top of the D got us back ahead we closed the game out in reasonable comfort.

We saw a stylish debut from Graham White at the back, Nick Hughes played the terrier in midfield around a solid backbone of Steve Bailes, Dave Harding and Daryl Keogh, and with some confident moving of the ball between the backs, at times we were stringing six and seven pass moves together. However, we interspersed that with some incredibly careless play and needed till well into the 2nd half to work out how wide the pitch was. After that we saw Aodhan (back at last after a long sojourn in the 5s), and even me getting down nicely into the corners and behind the defence.

Apologies to those who were left a bit short of pitchtime this week, but we will continue to nuture all our talent as best we can.

Finally, thanks to Nick Hoyle for helping out with lunch - not usually part of the umpires duties.