Hertford visited Harpenden eager for three points to take them into the Christmas break. They started strongly, enjoying the lion’s share of possession and territory, and mostly dictating the tempo.

Unfortunately, the away side’s eagerness got the better of them as Harpenden’s first counterattack found the Hertford defence totally absent. One has come to expect such dereliction of duty and gross incompetence from characters like Goodson, de Roeck and Holman, but from Clubman Elliot Barling, restored to the side for reasons that definitely extend beyond the fact that the first team’s fines money sits in his bank account, it was a bitter blow. “Et tu, Barlé?”, yelled Jamie O’Sullivan, hilariously, as he glided past every single other Hertford player in his rapid efforts to track back and provide a modicum of defensive cover against the five home attackers. Such speed of both wit and foot are exactly what O’Sullivan’s teammates have come to expect from him, and it was roundly agreed in the clubhouse debrief after the game that he was both blameless in what transpired, and a really great guy.

As Harpenden piled forward, O’Sullivan found himself the only defender facing seven opponents. He battled valiantly and, with the odds so supremely stacked against him, as Harpenden lasered a pinpoint cross into the D, it was truly a feat of heroism and supreme athleticism to even get a touch on the ball. But, alas, the loose ball found its way to one of the nine waiting Harpenden forwards who managed to slot home the game’s opening goal. As the goalscorer ran back past the despondent, but ultimately inspirational, figure of O’Sullivan, he cast him an admiring glance. “I can’t believe you single-handedly put up such resistance. What a player you are”, his eyes seemed to say. It is believed Oliver de Roeck was equally fulsome in his praise, but he was still too far away from the action for anyone to hear him.

Unified by a desire to repay O’Sullivan, Hertford stepped up the tempo and applied ever more pressure on their opponents, creating chances and winning a succession of short corners. On drag flick duties, and a young man who has often said that Jamie O’Sullivan is like a father to him, Scott Apps beat the keeper with his first attempt, only to be denied by a miraculous save on the line by a Harpenden defender. Second time up, Apps made sure, beating both the keeper and the man on the post to fire Hertford’s equaliser high into the net.

Half time followed shortly after with Hertford very much in the ascendancy on the pitch but still only at parity on the scoreboard. Nick Downer, assistant to the coach Adam ‘Price Dog’ Price, imparted a team talk full of the rich wisdom with which the elderly are blessed.

As the second half wore on, Hertford had opportunities to take the lead. Debutant James Price stole in front of the home defence to deflect an O’Sullivan pass agonisingly wide of the post, while Scott Apps created space in the D but, with the goal at his mercy, could not find the target.

Honours ended even, as Hertford struggle to kick their newfound habit for drawing games. They remain in a battle down the wrong end of the table but at least their team spirit hasn’t frayed to such an extent that they’ve started blaming individuals for their dropped points.