A tough enough draw anyway, but the news that Kevin Cooper was still unfit meant that it was going to be even tougher.
With Cooper, Mark Virgo and Pany Panayiotou out injured, and Lee Roberts unavailable, the squad was at least boosted by the arrival of midfielder Matt McArdle from Welwyn Garden City.
Team: 1. Nick Barnaby, 2. Pablo Ardiles, 3. Louis Lancaster, 4. Kevin Kilroy, 5. Glenn Draper, 6. Paul Taylor, 7. Ross Collins, 8. Phil Goss, 9. Ryan Redford, 10. Ryan Wade, 11. Rory Brien. Subs Used: 14. Nicky Marsh (for Goss, 76), 15. Matt McArdle (for Taylor, 42), 16. Nicky Burt (for Brien, 60)

The game began quietly, with both teams sizing each other up. Hertford conceded a free kick on six minutes when Rory Brien was adjudged by the referee to have fouled Ashley Hawkins by the right touchline. The lengthy lecture which accompanied the free kick suggested that we might have an interesting afternoon from the referee! Concord wasted this early opportunity when left footed Danny Hazleden curled an in-swinger over the bar. Lively centre forward Michael Begg was presented with a chance on 8 minutes, but lobbed the ball straight to Nick Barnaby.
Twice Begg managed to regain possession for Concord but both times the opportunity was spurned. Although Hertford were coping comfortably with the home side's attacks, they were not mounting any serious threats themselves. Then, on 19 minutes, the home side got the breakthrough. Midfielder NICKY COWLEY, always available to support his front two, was on hand for a simple tap in from inside the six yard box when the ball broke loose with Barnaby stranded. So light was Cowley's touch that the ball barely crossed the line, with Ross Collins almost getting his boot to it to clear.
The goal had the effect of encouraging Concord and they pressed for a second. When Kevin Kilroy headed out a long throw in, the ball went straight to striker Danny Heale, who was so surprised that he screwed his first time shot wide of the post. When Glenn Draper conceded a free kick 35 yards out, Ashley Hawkins got on to the end of an precise chip over the defence, but was flagged offside. Then, on 29 minutes, Ryan Redford had a rare opportunity to equalise when good approach play by Ross Collins put him in on goal. However the striker hit his shot over the bar. It was nearly 2-0 when home player-manager Danny Scopes suddenly let fly from the halfway line and nearly caught out Nick Barnaby. The teenager held on to the ball however, to keep the visitors in the game. Minutes later, Barnaby was a real hero when he produced a marvellous one-handed save to turn a fierce drive from Nicky Cowley round the post for a corner. As Concord asked all the questions, Danny Heale flicked a header just wide, from a left wing cross, when he should have scored.
Hertford won their first corner on 37 minutes, but Glenn Draper's far post header was completely off target. Then Nick Barnaby was required to make another fine save from Cowley, again at the expense of a corner. When Cowley lost possession in midfield, Ryan Redford looked to be away, but Danny Scopes made a superb saving challenge. Then, when Paul Taylor challenged for the ball on 42 minutes, his opponent blocked the ball and Taylor went down in obvious pain. After a delay of seven minutes, the midfielder was carried off on a stretcher with a knee ligament injury. With Matt McArdle coming on for his Blues' debut.
In the final moments of the half, Ryan Redford was cynically trpped by Ashley Hawkins as he set off on one of his trademark lateral runs along the 18 yard line, for which the Concord player was booked. Ryan Wade took the free kick, from just outside the box, but his effort crashed into the home wall.

Half Time: Concord Rangers 1 Hertford Town 0

Hertford began the second period brightly enough, and when Pablo Ardiles laid the ball into the path of Ross Collins, the youngster smashed a shot just inches outside the angle of post and bar. Concord replied when captain Dan Trenkle forced another good save from Nick Barnaby, to win a corner. When Ashley Hawkins floated this over, DANNY HEALE was on hand to head a classic centre forward goal from close range. At 2-0 the game was, in truth, beyond Hertford. They had shown nothing to suggest that they could hurt Concord enough to get two goals back, and the travelling fans, seeing Kevin Cooper on the bench wanted to see their hero in action. Ryan Redford battled on manfully and had another good run, but shot wide, then when Hertford did make a substitution, it was merely a like for like swap between Rory Brien and Nicky Burt. Redford was booked for petulantly kicking out at his opponent as he became frustrated by the close marking he was receiving (an easy decision for the referee), Kevin Kilroy set off on a good charge through the middle which unfortunately was snuffed out by the home defence. Phil Goss was replaced by Nicky Marsh on 76 minutes, again in a like for like swap, puzzling the fans who wanted to see a more attacking approach. There was a long delay when the home 'keeper Phil Skelton (first time I've mentioned him!) received attention for an apparent head injury, during which time Concord replaced Nicky Cowley with Gary Ewers. Hertford did up the tempo of their attacking in the final minutes, winning a couple of corners, and Concord withdrew Begg and Gary Ogilvie, sending on Chris Stowe and Earl Stirling, as the game seemed to go on for ever. Then the referee made the most mystifying of all his decisions on 90+ 2 minutes, when he denied the visitors a clear penalty, deeming a blatant two handed push into Ryan Redford's back not a foul. Ryan Wade showed his frustration moments later in a flare up in a catch-weight contest with the home No. 5, Kevin Mully, a foot taller than him. Both were booked for their actions, in what had otherwise been a commendably sporting contest.

Final Score: Concord Rangers 2 Hertford Town 0
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