Hertford VI 0 - 0 Berkhamsted V

another of those days when nobody wants to score

With the Stags game cancelled due to shortage of players throughout the club, were playing for honour rather than league points, but we were able to add Gabriel Thornton and Lawrence Robinson to the eleven from our own squad, gave Berkhamsted an often rather scrappy but always entertaining game, and we kept our goal difference on track at +/- zero!

As has often happened, having raised our game in recent matches against stronger opposition, we went off the boil against a respectable but not very dynamic Berkhamsted side. Passing was careless, we failed to clear cleanly from the back and struggled with first time touches. We defended deep and with patience, and Berkhamsted rarely looked threatening from open play, but they did force regular short corners. What little they got on target, Andy dealt with comfortably, though he had to reach all the way to push their best chance past the near post just before half time.

For our part we threaded a mix of long balls from Andy and Graham Locker and shorter balls from myself and Steve through their midfield and frequently got into their D, but couldn't find many shots on target. Crosses went too close to the keeper and loose balls rolled agonisingly wide of Hertford sticks. Lawrence found plenty of space on the right and once we started to use him we had plenty of options and some crackling crosses, but nothing on the scoreboard.

Gabriel's arrival at half time (having been stuck in traffic on the drive over) revitalised our attacking play and we began to look like we were properly in charge, confidently exchanging passes and spreading play across the whole field, to complement a continuing bombardment of long balls from Andy. We had to stay on our toes at the back, but how we failed to score in the last 15 minutes remains a mystery to me. Perhaps we were saving it for next week......

The technical defeat means we have to abandon hope of 6th place, but let's go out on a high next week and get that goal difference back into the black!