A rare day this season saw all 4 Men’s sides with decent availability which allowed for a 14-man squad for the first team. Back in the centre of defence was Hugh Kenney-Herbert, finally back from the longest skiing holiday in living memory (!), while Zafar Qadir added some additional options alongside a fairly full cast of regulars.

Anyone arriving at half time to find Bar 0-5 down, might not have been surprised given the way that the season has gone against a Sudbury team comfortably placed in the top half of the division. However, if hockey had a version of xG that could be applied to this match, it would have indicated a much closer game, where Bar had created almost as many chances as their opponents. The difference was the clinical finishing of the visitors, so that by half time the game was effectively over as a contest.

Bar created the first decent chance when on 6 minutes a fine run by Mark Turpin set Miles Tomkins away down the left but his cross into the centre of the D was cleared away. Within another minute Bar were behind – there did not look to be too much danger for Bar, but the Sudbury forward’s finish into the top corner from the edge of the D gave Ben Balmforth no chance.

A trend was to follow as the first half continued with Bar creating good chances that they failed to convert, then Sudbury going up the other end to show Bar how to finish. An excellent run on 9 minutes from Jonathan Elms fed Zafar Qadir into plenty of space approaching the D, but he was unable to properly control the ball before it was cleared away. Then on 15 minutes Hugh Kenney-Herbert made a run forward run in open play and when his ball into the D ran loose, Miles Tomkins was disappointed to see his effort sky over the bar. Sudbury then came away with a 3 on 2 break and played the ball beautifully around the Bar defence to take a two-goal lead.

Bar won the first short corner of the game soon afterwards but the effort was cleared. Then on 21 minutes a fine move involving Miles Tomkins, and Simon Tenwick ended with Zahid Khan’s fine effort going just over the bar. Unbelievably though within another 3 minutes Bar found themselves 4 goals behind as they conceded two more goals – the first to another fine finish and the second to a well worked short corner. This period of the game was probably the only time where Bar were very much second best - not helped by the score line. They conceded another short corner on 30 minutes resulting in a rare occasion where a Sudbury shot failed to hit the target but they soon fund themselves 5-0 down after 33 minutes following another excellent finish.

Half time could not come soon enough and it helped settle everyone down. The general tenor of the discussion was to continue playing the good hockey that the side had played for most of the first half but to aim to take their chances. The midfield was encouraged to drop a bit deeper for balls out of defence as the full press being applied was making it very difficult to clear the ball.

Given the score line it was perhaps not surprising that the second half was rather low key, as Sudbury were able to take their foot off the gas when holding a comfortable lead. Nevertheless, Bar continued their good play and were able to achieve the consolation of winning the second half. Little happened during the opening 10 minutes of the half other than an off-target strike by Zahid Khan. Things got a bit more interesting soon after – on 47 minutes a lofted pass out of defence evaded the Bar line and Sudbury would have scored their 6th goal but for a fine save by Ben Balmforth. In a mirror to the second half action this miss was then followed shortly afterwards by a goal at the other end – Zahid Khan put Mark Turpin away and although it looked like the opportunity had been cleared, Miles Tomkins put the ball back into the danger area for Zahid Khan to hit the target and reduce the arrears.

Bar won a number of short corners as the second half continued but were unable to create any real opportunities as either the routines went wrong or the Sudbury defence held firm. The only close call came on 58 minutes when the initial short corner was cleared away but Ajay Patel got the ball back into the D and Hugh Kenney-Herbert perhaps fortunately saw his deflection lost into the air towards the top of the goal but the Sudbury keeper was on hand to tip over the bar. A short corner at the other end on 56 minutes once again almost led to a 6th Sudbury goal but for an excellent diving stop by Ben Balmforth.

Aside from a couple of green cards to Sudbury players for dissent during the second half that was all she wrote. Overall, a decent Bar performance, a winning second half, but ultimately the finishing from both sides decided the match in the first half.

Potters Bar 1 Sudbury 5 (HT: 0-5)

Team: J McCormick (Capt), B Balmforth (GK), G McCormick, R Calver, P Holbrook, Z Qadir, H Kenney-Herbert, A Patel, J Elms, JJ Burn, S Tenwick, M Tomkins, M Turpin, Z Khan

Goals: Zahid Khan (48)

MVP: Hugh Kenney-Herbert
TFC: Ajay Patel