Hertford 2nd XI v Potters Bar 1st XI
Saturday 6th February 2010

Bar went into the game with good intentions. Bar started off well. Playing the ball through the midfield and using the wings well. Early skirmishes suggested that this would be a competitive game with plenty of skill being shown as well as determined challenges from both sides. Bar continued to put pressure on the Hertford defence but seeemed to get caught a couple of times when it come to defending

Short corner to Bar. Mark Turpin received the ball and passed it onto Ed Whybrow who tried for the drag flick, keeper saved, fell to Chris Chittleborough who went for the hit 5 yards out. The ball was saved on the line by a Hertford player's foot with no one behind him to stop the ball. Penalty flick to Bar which was converted by Whybrow.

Bar had to change their line up slighty due to Rob Donoghue being injured 5 minutes from half time. So Chittleborough slipped into left back, with Tony Sayers taking Chittleborough's place playing centre midfield and Dave Fennell playing up front. Bar struggled a bit with only playing 3 at the back with a couple of players missing.

Hertford came back strong to make it 1-1 at half time.

With Donoghue being out for the rest of the game, Bar only had 11 men with no subs. Bar had to deal with the pressure that the Hertford team kept putting on them. Hertford took the lead 5 minutes into the second half. Bar struggled to clear the ball from their D and the central midfielder slotted it nicely into the top corner with a flick.

Bar kept being caught out when attacking with players playing too high and the midfielders were struggling to track back and support the defense. This meant Bar went 3-1 down, to 4-1 down with some good hockey played by Hertford and a miss hit which went over the Bar keeper for the 4th.

Bar were constantly on the attack with Whybrow changing his defensive role in the first half to playing his normal role as an attacking midfielder. This allowed him to make runs to the D and put in a couple of shots. Doing this Bar got a goal back to go to 4-2 down. With Whybrow also making runs to the 25 and putting solid balls through to the centre forwards for Bar, plenty of chances were missed. 7 mins left Bar brought it back to 4-3 with a goal from Sayers, Whybrow yet again putting a good ball through to the centre of the D with a slight deflection past the keeper to make it 4-3.

At the end of the day Hertford deserved to get all 3 points. Without a win for Bar they were still on top of NE14HOCKEY East League Division 4 South West by 3 points with St Albans Exiles only drawing to Bishops Stortford.

Bar are home to Blueharts next week. 3 points needed.

Goal scorers: Ed Whybrow (2), Tony Sayers

by Tony Sayers