Hertford introduced two new faces for this top of the table clash with Edgware. Centre back Glenn Draper needed no introduction, having made over 150 appearances for the Blues in his previous spell with the club. Left back Michael Bakare had played for Haringey Borough in the recent 0-9 defeat to Hertford, but so impressed the Hertford management that he made an immediate start after his transfer from the North London side. Leo Turner and Pani Panayiotou were still out injured after their clash of heads last week, but Lee Roberts was fit to return after his foot injury.
Team: 1. Mark Virgo, 2. Nicky Mrsh, 3. Michael Bakare, 4. Matt Watts, 5. Glenn Draper, 6. Pablo Ardiles, 7. Kevin Kilroy, 8. Scott Neilson, 9. Ryan Redford, 10. Kevin Cooper (capt), 11. Lee Roberts, Sub used: 15. Joel Maybury (for Matt Watts, 50)

Hertford turned out in their red away kit and immediately looked up to the job, on Edgware's outstanding playing surface. Edgware won an early corner when Nicky Marsh, restored to right back for this game, beat The Wares skipper Richard Morton to the ball. The ball broke quickly to Ryan Redford, and the league's leading goalscorer nearly got off to a lightening start, but home 'keeper Rob Blackburne managed to smother the ball at Redford's feet.
Immediately after, Blackburne miskicked a clearance to Redford but the striker snatched at his shot and the ball flew wide of the goal. Matt Watts got behind the home defence from an 8th minute free kick but his cross went just behind the inrushing attackers. Both sides were contibuting to an open entertaining game worthy of two top of the table teams, with corners being conceded at both ends. Mark Virgo had not been called into action at all though, as the new look Hertford defence was giving him excellant protection. Lee Roberts saw his right foot shot fly wide, and then new boy Michael Bakare went very close with a fine strike from out on the left which flashed past the far post. Edgware's main striker, Adam Wallace, was having a lean time and the nearest he came to scoring was a header on 28 minutes which ballooned over the bar. Lee Roberts put over a good cross which Ryan Redford elected to head, and the ball went wide. On 36 minutes though, Hertford took a deserved lead when Michel Bakare and Kevin Cooper combined to set up RYAN REDFORD, who struck Cooper's pass sweetly from 22 yards, and the ball flew past a startled Rob Blackburne into the back of the net. Mark Virgo was called into action for the first time on 40 minutes, when Steve Brady shot straight at him. With added time being played for no apparent reason, Kevin Cooper was booked for hand ball when defending a free kick.

Half Time: Edgware Town 0 Hertford Town 1

Edgware came out for the second half clearly intent on improving on their relatively indifferent first half performance. Carl McCluskey was booked for a foul on Lee Roberts, and Roberts took the free kick himself, giving Rob Blackbourne an easy save.
As Edgware pressed, Mark Virgo pulled off a remarkable save to deny Phil Kane, as the youngster looked certain to score. On 50 minutes, Matt Watts went down injured and was unable to continue, with Joel Maybury replacing him. The prolific RICHARD MORTON levelled for The Wares on 54 minutes. Mark Virgo made a poor job of dealing with a back pass from Glenn Draper, and the ball fell to the Edgware skipper, who fired home from 22 yards.
Edgware immediately made a double substitution - sending on Ben Cain and ex Blue Vince Rispoli in place of Jeson Fernee and Adil Saleh. Edgware were the dominent force now, and Mark Virgo had to make another good save, this time from Steve Brady. Joel Maybury was booked, apparently for dissent and then Nicky Marsh also saw yellow, for tripping Phil Kane.
Hertford were beginning to regain some sort of control, and good work by Scott Neilson set up a half chance for Kevin Cooper, but the skipper's looping header was safely held by Rob Blackburne. Then Hertford regained the lead on 70 minutes. A swift attack saw Ryan Reford about to dispatch the ball from close range, when Mark Buchanan pulled him back. The referee awarded a penalty, and KEVIN COOPER gave Blackburne no chance as he fairly thumped the ball high into the roof of the net. Buchanan was shown a yellow card for the offence which led to the penalty award.
Goalscorer Cooper was back defending to kick off the line, and Nicky Marsh did likewise, as the home side threw everything at their rivals. Vince Rispoli ended a powerful run down the left with a shot which whistled past the far post, and then Mark Buchanan ended a Ryan Redford run with a cynical trip from behind, which the visitors fully expected to be punished with a second yellow card for Buchanan but only drew a free kick.
This was to prove telling almost immediately, as BUCHANAN was on hand to tap home when Edgware were wrongly awarded a corner in the 78th minute. Hertford had conceded a corner on their right, and when the ball came over, Mark Virgo made an attempt to reach the ball with his hand, but failed to connect. The ball went out of play and everyone except the referee expected a goal kick. However, he gave a corner and this found Buchanan unmarked at the far post for a simple tap in. This spurred Edgware on even more but Lee Gardner was required to clear the ball off his own line when Hertford won an 80th minute corner. Then on 84 minutes, disaster struck for Hertford and Glenn Draper in particular, when the big defender comprehensively up-ended Adam Wallace in the penalty area and RICHARD MORTON stepped up to fire his side ahead for the first time in the game.
The stuffing knocked out of them by these two goals, there was little that the gallant Blues could do to turn things around in the remaining minutes, and it might have been worse for them but Mark Virgo made another fine save, tipping over a dipping drive from Steve Brady. So it was no points from a game which for so long Hertford had looked like winning, and further evidence of Edgware's battling qualities right to the end of a game.