From the midweek league win away to Cockfosters, Alex Scriven dropped to the bench to make way for the returning Kevin Cooper as Hertford made just one change.

Hertford Town: 1. Mark Virgo 2. Nicky Marsh 3. Louis Lancaster 4. Kevin Kilroy (C) 5. Glenn Draper 6. Paul Taylor (Panayiotis Panayiotou, 86) 7. Ryan Wade 8. Nicky Burt (Alex Scriven, 80) 9. Ryan Redford 10. Kevin Cooper 11. Lee Roberts. Unused Subs: 14. Michael Cooper 16. Ross Collins 17. Pablo Ardiles

Cogenhoe United: 1. Darren Watts 2. James Thatcher 3. Jason Lee 4. Tom McGowan (Malcolm Ndekire, 87) 5. Simon Flowerday (Nick Woodroffe, 73) 6. Lee Gotch 7. Dan Tommasson 8. Neil Champleovier 9. Zac Nedimovic 10. Rob Foster 11. James Allcock. Unused Subs: 14. Dan Norman 15. Paul Hartley 17. Dan Ainsworth

Cogenhoe made a late arrival to Hertingfordbury Park for the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round clash owing to an unfortunate incident with modern technology. In an attempt to locate the ground, one Cogenhoe official entered the wrong postcode into an internet map service which resulted in the team bus pulling up in Welwyn Garden City outside the house of Hertford Town secretary Stephen Hedley whose lawn simply wasn't big enough for the match.

Hertford began relatively brightly, perhaps buoyed by the presence on the touchline of manager Dave Greenwood who had returned from a holiday to Mexico. Early half-chances fell to the Blues as Cogenhoe custodian Darren Watts was threatened by Lee Roberts and then Kevin Cooper in the opening 10 minutes.

Shouts for a penalty were turned down by the referee on 11 minutes when Roberts played in Ryan Redford to fire across goal where winger Nicky Burt was allegedly felled in the ensuing scramble. Much of the early pressure was directed at the Cogenhoe goal although Watts wasn't required to make a save of any real quality.

After an early spell of effectively manipulating the space to their advantage, applying pressure to win the ball before seeking space to allow quick distribution from the defence to the midfield and attack, Hertford began to relinquish their hold upon the game and allowed Cogenhoe to mount attacks of their own.

Owing to his position on the bench, Hertford perhaps suffered from not having the influence of the talismanic Panayiotis Panayiotou in the midfield. Cogenhoe exploited his absence to mount their first serious attack on 22 minutes with a looping header from Rob Foster which cleared the crossbar.

Hertford skipper Kevin Kilroy received a yellow card on 31 minutes following a shirt-pulling incident on the edge of the Hertford penalty area. It was generally a strong performance from the Hertford backline who managed to nullify the main threat of Cogenhoe's powerful striker Zac Nedimovic. It was Nedimovic who provided the next test for Hertford's defence with a strong header on 35 minutes which, much like Foster's earlier effort, cleared the crossbar.

Hertford dynamo Ryan Wade featured heavily in the remainder of the first half with a series of seemingly innocuous challenges earning him a trademark booking to the disgust of the Hertford faithful. Wade's exuberance and enthusiasm put him in the position to fire in a shot on 43 minutes, his effort on the turn failing to find the net.

Half Time: Hertford Town 0 Cogenhoe United 0

Hertford again started brightly with Cooper forcing Watts into a good save early in the second half. Following a probing dribble from strike-partner Redford, the ball fell to Cooper whose left foot shot was tipped over the bar by Watts for a corner.

Once again, Hertford made better use of their possession than Cogenhoe although the balance was fairly even.

Nedimovic called Hertford 'keeper Mark Virgo into his first save of the day when he blasted in a low shot on 61 minutes. Virgo gathered the ball with the minimum of fuss on what was, for him, a quiet afternoon. Nevertheless, he showed his quality as a goalkeeper with a solid display.

Another even passage of play followed with the tie turning into a midfield battle. Both teams worked hard in breaking down the others' attacks which resulted in large periods of unspectacular play. The centre of the park was starved of space, meaning Hertford were unable to play their often exciting brand of fluent passing football.

Virgo confidently saved a half-volley from James Allcock on 68 minutes before Hertford full-back Nicky Marsh attempted to inject a touch of flair into the tie with a fizzing 30 yard drive which fell narrowly wide. Redford's smart one-two with Cooper also provided a moment of imagination with the former's shot being tipped over the crossbar by the impressive Watts. Cooper shot wide on 73 minutes after a long throw-in from Louis Lancaster dropped at his feet on the edge of the penalty area.

Cogenhoe were the first to inject fresh legs into their line-up with Nick Woodroffe replacing Simon Flowerday on 73 minutes. Hertford soon followed suit on 80 minutes with Alex Scriven replacing the tired Nicky Burt.

If any team was going to break the deadlock, you may have sensed that luck might play a part in the goal. There was certainly an element of fortune in Hertford's winning goal as a long goal kick from Virgo eluded the Cogenhoe defence and allowed Kevin Cooper to lob the on-rushing Watts from 20 yards. Cooper provided his team with a typical striker's finish and did well to guide his lob into the net whilst under pressure from Watts and a fellow Cogenhoe defender.

As Greenwood looked to secure the win and the passage into the next round, Paul Taylor was substituted for Panayiotis Panayiotou on 86 minutes. Panayiotou dropped deep in front of the impressive Hertford defence as Hertford successfully defended in the final few minutes, with Mark Virgo palming the ball away with a dining save minutes before the final whistle to seal a hard-fought win over tough opposition. Greater challenges may lay ahead for Greenwood's Blues as they pursue silverware in their centenary season, yet Hertford are certainly on the road to Wembley. Or Tring at least.

Full Time: Hertford Town 1 Cogenhoe United 0