by Pete Boyer

Hertford Town's goalkeeping crisis worsened during the week with the news that James Sturgeon had joined Mark Virgo and Nick Barnaby on the injury list. The Blues were fortunate to be able to call on the services of former assistant manager Tony Tilbrook, who donned the number one shirt for this game. Manager Greenwood also made some other changes to the team: The full back partnership of Pablo Ardiles on the left and Nicky Marsh on the right, was resumed, alongside a centre back pairing of Glenn Draper and Robbie Carroll. Skipper Kevin Kilroy moved up into midfield at the expense of new boy Matt McArdle, who dropped to the bench.

Teams: Hertford Town - 1. Tony Tilbrook, 2. Pablo Ardiles, 3. Nicky Marsh, 4. Kevin Kilroy (capt), 5. Glenn Draper, 6. Robbie Carroll, 7. Phil Goss, 8. Nicky Burt, 9. Ryan Redford, 10 Kevin Cooper, 11. Lee Roberts. Sub Used: 16. Ross Collins (for Burt, 58).
Biggleswade Town - 1. Aaron Springham, 2. Marcus Hering, 3. Neil Morgan, 4. Paul Reynolds, 5. Kevin Randall, 6. Chris Hewitt, 7. Jack Weeden, 8. Scott Field, 9. Jamie Steele, 10. Dan Heron, 11. Bradley Harrison.

The game began a little cautiously as each team tried to get a measure of the other, though as early as the second minute Hertford mounted an attack involving Kevin Cooper, Ryan Redford and Lee Roberts, though the final ball was smothered by the home 'keeper, Springham. Three minutes later Biggleswade launched an attack but again the final ball was smothered by Blues 'keeper, Tilbrook. In the seventh minute Nicky Marsh won a good tackle wide on the right and passed the ball forward to Redford, though again Waders' 'keeper dealt with the threat comfortably. Two minutes later a promising attack involving Cooper and Redford led to the ball being cleared behind the Town goal, for what the visiting supporters thought was a clear Hertford corner. However, the referee had different ideas and awarded a Biggleswade goal kick. Shortly afterwards, Hertford won a free kick, wide on the right, which Kevin Kilroy floated skilfully across the box to Robbie Carroll, who was waiting beyond the back post. He headed the ball back across the area, but there was no-one there to meet it and the threat was snuffed out. Hertford were gaining the upper hand during the opening quarter of an hour but all too frequently the forwards were getting caught offside and attacks came to nothing, then on sixteen minutes they had half a chance. Clever interplay between Kilroy, Cooper and Redford resulted in the latter taking the ball into the box where he was dispossessed by a Town defender. The weak Hertford calls for a penalty were dismissed by the referee. A minute later, Pablo Ardiles was fouled at the other end and required treatment, which held up the game for a short while.
On twenty minutes, Kevin Cooper won the ball in the centre circle and fed it through to Ryan Redford, who took it forward and shot, which produced a good save from the Biggleswade custodian. Three minutes later a heavy challenge on Blues defender Glenn Draper by the Waders' Jamie Steele saw the latter receive the first booking of the match.
In the 25th minute Hertford mounted another promising attack. Kevin Kilroy initially fed the ball to Ryan Redford on the penalty spot, but a timely clearance was made by the Biggleswade defence. However, Hertford regained possession, and after some impressive interplay on their right between Phil Goss and Nicky Burt, the latter passed the ball to Ryan Redford, who crossed the ball to the unmarked KEVIN COOPER at the far post. He made no mistake in heading the ball into the back of the net to make the core one-nil to the Blues.
The home team responded well to this setback and there followed a period of Biggleswade pressure on the Hertford goal. However the Blues were able to mount the odd counter-attack and on the half hour mark a good cross from Nicky Burt fell to Lee Roberts. His shot was blocked and the ball went out for a corner. This was taken by Phil Goss but cleared by the Waders' goalkeeper, who was then rather surprisingly awarded a free kick.
In the 37th minute there was a clash between Biggleswade's Bradley Harrison and Hertford's Nicky Burt, which saw the latter being shown the second yellow card of the match. The resulting free kick was comfortably cleared by the Hertford defence, and shortly afterwards the Blues once again found themselves in an attacking position. The ball fell to Phil Goss, but unfortunately he played his forward pass too early and the attack came to nothing.
Less than five minutes before half-time, Biggleswade won a throw-in on the left, level with the Hertford 18 yard box. The ball was played into the box but initially cleared by the Blues' defence. However it came straight back in to Town's NEIL MORGAN, who headed the ball into the back of the net to pull the scores level. There then followed a further period of Biggleswade pressure with the Blues defence conceding free kicks in dangerous positions. Firstly Glenn Draper fouled an advancing
Biggleswade player on the Waders' right. The threat was initially cleared by Nicky Marsh, only for the ball to come straight back in. It was then cleared again upfield. However, within a minute the Hertford defence conceded another free kick, this time on the Waders' left, with Draper again the culprit. When the ball was played in this time it was headed clear and to safety by Kevin Kilroy. There was time for one more Hertford attack before the half-time whistle. Following good movement down the left, Lee Roberts put in a deep cross for Nicky Burt, but his cushioned shot floated just over the bar. Immediately the resulting goal kick was taken, the referee blew the half-time whistle.

Half Time: Biggleswade Town 1 Hertford Town 1

The Second half began in a slightly more lively fashion than the first. In the second minute of the half Ryan Redford won the ball wide on the Hertford right and crossed to Nicky Burt who snapped his shot over, when he probably had more time to control the ball and test the Town 'keeper more. Biggleswade immediately launched a counter-attack from the resulting goal kick, and an advancing Waders striker also shot over, though this was a lucky escape for the Blues defence, who had been caught on the hop on this occasion. Hertford then applied a little pressure in the centre of the park which resulted in a Phil Goss shot. The home 'keeper parried this but was able to control the ball and launch another counter-attack upfield. There then followed a period of 'end-to-end' action, though with neither team able to mount a successful final attack on goal. In the 51st minute Nicky Burt was floored in the middle of the pitch but the resulting free kick came to nothing. Then, two minutes later Ryan Redford mad a lunging tackle on a Biggleswade player on the Town's right, and although he won the ball, became the third player in the referee's book, for dangerous play. The resulting free kick led to a weak shot straight into the arms of Tilbrook.
There then followed a short period of Hertford pressure. Kevin Cooper was fouled during an attack down the right during the eleventh minute of the half, though the free kick came to nothing. Another attack down the same side of the pitch ended with a Nicky Marsh cross being hit straight to the Biggleswade 'keeper. The Waders then launched their own counter attack, which left their rapidly advancing striker with only the Hertford' keeper to beat. He came out and missed the ball and it seemed inevitable that Town would score, but the shot was hit wide to the left of the goal - a clear let off for the Blues. Shortly afterwards, there was a clash of heads between a Biggleswade player and Nicky Marsh, for which the latter required treatment. When play was resumed in the 58th minute the referee awarded a drop ball, which Biggleswade played out for a Hertford goal kick. The kick was taken but did not have the necessary strength to find a Hertford player, and instead fell to Town's DAN HERON, who made no mistake in blasting the ball past the Blues' custodian, into the back of the net, to give Biggleswade the lead for the first time in the match.
Dave Greenwood immediately replaced Nicky Burt with Ross Collins on the right side of midfield, but it was the Waders, buoyed by their rather fortunate lead, who began to apply more pressure. However, in the 63rd minute Lee Roberts made a positive run down the left, but his attempted cross to Collins was blocked by the Biggleswade defence, who then launched a counter-attack. Shortly afterwards there was a clash of heads between Kevin Cooper and Biggleswade's Kevin Randall. Town were able to mount attack from the resulting drop ball, which saw Tilbrook initially drop the ball, but recover well to keep Hertford in the game.
In the 68th minute Phil Goss was hacked down by Bradley Harrison, who became the fourth name in the referee's book. The resulting free kick was played into the Biggleswade box but drifted harmlessly wide. Town were then able to mount another trade-mark counter-attack, only for this to be cut out by a well-positioned Glenn Draper. Biggleswade soon won a corner though, but when this was taken there was adjudged to have been an infringement on a Hertford player in the box and the Blues were awarded a free kick. In the 77th minute Hertford won another free kick after a foul on Phil Goss, but Ryan Redford wasted his chance on this occasion.
Biggleswade were now applying more and more pressure and Kevin Cooper was dropping deeper with increasing regularity, to help out the tired Hertford midfield, which by this time was lacking any creativity. However, in the 78th minute Hertford won a corner, which came in to Glenn Draper, who blasted a powerful shot goalwards. The shot was saved and knocked out for another corner, only for Phil Goss to waste this chance by kicking the ball out of play.
Into the final ten minutes and chances were few and far between for either team. Pablo Ardiles did put in a good cross from the left on 82 minutes but this was headed away. Hertford then won a succession of free kicks but each was taken too quickly and wasted. As the 90th minute approached Biggleswade did have a shot from all of thirty yards out, but this went high and wide, and then right at the death, Hertford had a final chance, which saw a Ryan Redford looped header find its way into the arms of Town 'keeper Springham. Immediately he cleared upfield, the referee blew for the end of the game. Overall, what began as a promising encounter between Hertford Town and one of the league's high-flyers, ended in disappointment for the visiting team and supporters. The Blues had their chances, but in the second half and particularly after the second Biggleswade goal, there was probably only ever going to be one winner.

Final Score: Biggleswade Town 2 Hertford Town 1



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