Kevin Cooper scored his 200th career goal for Hertford as The Blues ran riot at 6th placed Aylesbury Vale. Vale gave as good as they got in the first half, despite going a goal down on 16 minutes, but after skipper Kevin Kilroy had headed a second at the start of the second period, the result was never in doubt.

Fit again Mark Virgo returned in goal for the first time since August, but the shock was Ryan Redford being relegated to the bench.
Hertford Town: 1. Mark Virgo, 2. Nicky Narsh, 3. Pablo Ardiles, 4. Kevin Kilroy (capt), 5. Glenn Draper, 6. Ryan Wade, 7. Phil Goss, 8. Matt McArdle, 9. Ian Cooper, 10. Kevin Cooper, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used: 12. Ryan Redford (for I Cooper, 69), 14. Panayiotis Panayiotu (for Wade, 78), 15. Carl Ashton (for McArdle, 61)

The game began at a frantic pace and was pretty evenly matched between the sides in sixth and seventh place in the league. Mark Virgo made an important stop on 11 minutes from Ben Mortimer, after the home No. 7 was played in by Luke Melisi, but it was the visitors who went ahead on 16 minutes with a fine goal. Ryan Wade played a fine raking pass over the home defence to Ian Cooper out on the right. Cooper squared the ball to his brother KEVIN COOPER, who gleefully stroked the ball home from 15 yards to register his 200th goal for The Blues. Partly through superstition, but mainly through fear of picking up a fifth booking and a suspension, Coops had resisted the temptation to wear a "200" tee-shirt under his shirt, and his celebration was far more low key than his 100th had been. Within moments, Glenn Draper was clearing his lines at the other end, as Vale tried to hit back immediately.
The home side were a real threat to Hertford at this stage, and Ricky Sinfield saw his lob fall on to the top of the crossbar with Virgo beaten. Home centre half Kyle Kilmartin slipped up on 34 minutes and Ian Cooper stole the ball before passing to the supporting Pablo Ardiles. Home 'keeper Craig Nicholson did well to smother the ball when Ardiles shot. Ian Cooper smashed the ball home from an acute angle on 35 minutes, but was adjudged to have been offside. Vale's Sam Cooley tried a long range effort on 37 minutes but the ball was easily held by Mark Virgo. Hertford attacked again, and Kevin Cooper crossed to his brother, whose shot was deflected for a corner. From this, Ryan Wade headed back across goal and Glenn Draper was unlucky to see his shot go wide of the upright. Hertford were on top in the final minutes of the half and Phil Goss, Lee Roberts and Matt McArdle all went close.

Half Time: Aylesbury Vale 0 Hertford Town 1

Hertford came out with all cylinders firing and scored a second following a 47th minute corner. KEVIN KILROY met Phil Goss's corner kick with a powerful header which beat home 'keeper Nicholson comprehensively. A two goal cushion was very comforting to a Hertford side who had not had the rub of the green in recent away games, and they never looked back. Vale got few opportunities to get back into the game, and had little to offer but a Luke Melisi shot which went wide, after Paul Talbot had headed the ball down to him. It was 3-0 to Hertford on 54 minutes, when Ian Cooper again laid a goal on for brother KEVIN COOPER, when he pulled the ball back from the left for an unmissable opportunity.
Vale's Sam Cooley received a straight red for violent conduct as the players returned to the centre circle for the restart. Vale replaced James Gardener with Liam Fry on 55 minutes, facing a daunting task with only 10 men. Kevin Kilroy found Nicky Marsh, raiding down the right, and the full back's shot across goal only missed by inches. Hertford took off Matt McArdle, who had done well in centre midfield and game 30 minutes to the experienced Carl Ashton. It was 4-0 on 64 minutes when IAN COOPER opened his Blues' account with a fabulous individual goal. He beat a couple of defenders and cut in at speed from the right before rifling home from an acute angle as he ran into the box.
Vale made their second substitution when Kyle Kilmartin was taken off and Danny Jones came on. Things went from bad to worse for the home side, when RYAN WADE popped up in a central position and fired home from fully 25 yards with a shot which dipped viciously under the bar, to make it 5-0 on 66 minutes. Ryan Redford came on for Ian Cooper on 70 minutes. Carl Ashton nearly capped a fine move with a goal but found the side netting. Panayiotis Panayiotou came on for Hertford on 78 minutes in exchange for Ryan Wade, as the visitors completed their substitutions. Ryan Redford was clearly desperate to make a scoring impact but his first attempt went wide of the mark. When he was clean through again, he lobbed over the bar. It was 6-0 on 85 minutes though when LEE ROBERTS scored with a quality finish. In on goal, he sent the 'keeper over on to his back with a drop of his shoulder, resisted the pleas of Ryan Redford to square the ball to him, and calmly dinked the ball into the empty net.

Final Score: Aylesbury Vale 0 Hertford Town 6 We hope you will find our website helpful and informative . There is a separate "Fans Forum", for which the Club accepts no reponsibility .