TUESDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2006
SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
HERTFORD TOWN 4 LANGFORD 2

This was one of the most exciting games seen at the Park for a long time - end to end action with the winners not decided until the final moments. All credit to both sides for putting on such a stirring display. After Saturday's really poor showing against Holmer Green the Blues were fired up for a big improvement tonight. There were starts for Kevin Cooper and Pablo Ardiles and both impressed throughout. The unlucky Matt Watts arrived late and had to watch the game from the dugout.
Team: 1. Mark Virgo, 2. Mark Teasdale, 3. Pablo Ardiles, 4. Robbie Syrett, 5. John Barker, 6. Jamie Nicholson, 7. Nicky Marsh, 8. Leo Turner (capt), 9. Ryan Redford, 10. Kevin Cooper, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used :12. Scott Neilson (for Syrett, 73), 15. Paul Dodd (for Ryan Wade, 85), 16. Ryan Wade (for Leo Turner, 73).
Langford: 1. Steve Young, 2. Shayne Willett, 3. Dave Drury, Dave Cook, 5. Dorian Small, 6. Ricardo Small, 7. Adam Pitcairn, 8. Lee Pateman, 9. Wesley Byrne, 10. Marc Barnes, 11. Robert Groves, Sub Used: 17. Andy Pilgrim
On a perfect evening for football, on a freshly mown pitch, both sides set off at great pace to entertain the crowd, which included a fair few from Langford. Already the beneficiaries of two early corners, Langford showed why they were second in the league by taking 7th minute lead with a very good goal from ROBERT GROVES. The Langford attackers out paced the home defence, with John Barker exposed and the ball was quickly worked across goal to the waiting Groves, who placed his shot firmly past Mark Virgo.
Despite this setback, Hertford set about recovering the sitation and began to play some really excellant football. Kevin Cooper and Ryan Redford were combining really well and one run by Redford on 12 minutes led to Cooper shooting just over the bar.
As Hertford continued to ask the questions, a lay off from Redford saw Pablo Ardiles, following in, go very near from 18 yards. On 18 minutes, a great ball down the line from the halfway line by Kevin Cooper saw Ryan Redford set off on one of his trademark runs, only to see his shot blocked . Lee Roberts was prominent in most of these attacks and a cross from the winger was headed over the bar by Redford. On 25 minutes, Langford won their third corner, and Mark Teasdale needed to clear well to avert danger.
John Barker was booked for protesting too long about a free kick awarded against him when he felt it was the other way, and from the kick, goalscorer Groves so nearly doubled his tally when he headed into the side netting.
The home crowd were determined to lift their side and began singing at a very early stage (perhaps in rehearsal for Saturday). They positively erupted when a slick through ball from Ryan Redford saw LEO TURNER burst through the visitors' defence on 31 minutes to finish with great composure from just inside the box. On 35 minutes, another Cooper flick on found Redford, but he fired wildly over the bar. A couple of times, both strikers got to the same ball and got in each other's way, but it was a joy to see so much fire power up front. Just before halftime, Kevin Cooper got the thinnest of contacts on a header from a long range free kick from Lee Roberts when a firm one would have found the net.
Half Time: Hertford Town 1 Langford 1

Hertford came out very early for the second half and the first 10 minutes of the second period completely belonged to them as they kept Langford penned in to their own penalty area for most of this time. On 48 minutes the chance to take the lead came when Ryan Redford was felled in the box. He had the confidence to take the spot kick himself, but to the crowd's dismay, he struck the angle of post and bar, and the ball flew to safety.
Still the Blues pressed forward, and Redford presented Cooper with a close range chance, but desperate to start his season's tally, Coops sidefooted wide. A minute later a Redford thunderbolt cannoned off a defender to Lee Roberts, whose snap shot was tipped over the bar by the flying Steve Young in the Langford goal. The inevitable happened when Langford took advantage of Hertford defenders going walkabout when a swift attack was finished off by LEE PATEMAN on 67 minutes. On another night, Hertford might have capitulated, but with the crowd still singing them on, they set about rescuing the situation. After 73 minutes Leo Turner and Robbie Syrett were withdrawn and fresh legs in the form of Ryan Wade and Scott Neilson were thrown into the fray. Only two minutes later, Ryan Redford again forced a foul tackle in the box, but this time he had to defer to the seniority of KEVIN COOPER. Despite a long wait whilst a Langford player received treatment, and despite the antics of veteran 'keeper Young, who recoverd the ball from the spot after Cooper had placed it, Coops clinically despatched the spot kick for 2-2, to open his season's account and register his 123rd goal for the club.
The final minutes of the game were some of the most tense witnessed in recent times. Most believed that Langford would concede again, but the nature of their two goals suggested that it might be they who got the winner. Jamie Nicholson was booked on 78 minutes for a comprehensive foul, and then Langford's Dave Cook suffered the same fate. Then, on 82 minutes, Hertford took the lead for the frst time when RYAN REDFORD finished off a slick attack by seizing on an opportunity created by substitute Ryan Wade to stroke the ball home and send the Stable End crowd mad. Wade was injured in setting up the chance and had to be replaced by Paul Dodd. Scott Neilson was lucky to escape with a booking with 4 minutes of added time played, when he became involved in a fracas with a Langford player, and then, when everyone's nails had been bitten to the quick, up popped LEE ROBERTS to tap home and settle the matter once and for all. A great game, and a result which saw Hertford leapfrog over Langford into second place.

Final score: Hertford Town 4 Langford 2