Ruislip must have wondered what they had done to deserve another walloping from The Blues as Hertford duly completed their first SSML Premier Division double of the season, amassing a remarkable 13 goals against 3, in the two games.
With Ryan Redford suspended for one game, Lee Roberts was switched to central striker, with Michael Bakare taking Roberts' usual left wing berth. This was to prove an inspirational switch by manager Greenwood, as Roberts became the fourth Hertford player to register a hat-trick this season, and Bakare assisted with two of Hertford's goals. Phil Goss made his 100th career appearance for Hertford, and weighed in with two goals also.
Team: 1. Mark Virgo, 2. Nicky Marsh, 3. Pablo Ardiles, 4. Kevin Kilroy (capt), 5. Glenn Draper, 6. Paul Taylor, 7. Panaiotis Panayiotou, 8. Phil Goss, 9. Michael Bakare, 10. Kevin Cooper, 11. Lee Robers. Subs Used: 12. Nick Turner (for Kilroy, 68), 15. Mark Seller (for Taylor, 52), 16. Tony Neilson (for Bakare, 52)

This was a far cry from the balmy days of early season, when Hertford were scoring for fun on good surfaces, but they showed that they can still rattle in the goals deep into winter! The pitch had been heavily sanded in order to make it playable, and a strong wind looked set to spoil the game, but the visitors evidently found contitions to their liking as they took a stranglehold on the game from very early on. In the second minute, Lee Roberts' free kick came out to Paul Taylor and the midfielder let fly from 25 yards, only to see his miscued effort fly wide. A minute later, Lee Roberts skipped through the home defence but the ball was smothered by young goallie Chris Hunter. Manor responded and from a free kick, central defender Dave Cooper went close with a firm header. Then Lee Roberts and Michael Bakare combined well but Bakare's near perfect centre fell just too far in front of Kevin Cooper. Hertford took the lead though, on 12 minutes with a fine solo effort from LEE ROBERTS. The stand in central striker took the ball into the right hand side of the penalty area before bearing in on goal and coolly planting his shot across the 'keeper into the far left corner.
Hertford's next real chance came on 19 minutes, when a Lee Roberts corner was just about to be headed home by Phil Goss when a defender managed to clear in front of him. Although Michael Bakare was tearing the home defence to shreds down the left, if possession was lost, Hertford were exposed down their left flank, and veteran goalscorer Mickey Swaysland put the space to good use on 20 minutes when he ran down the wing and crossed to Terry Gibbs, whose header went very close indeed. Bakare and Ruislip right back Michael Beeson were involved in an accidental clash which saw them both requiring lengthy treatment. Although both appeared at first to have recovered, Manor had to replace Beeson on 26 minutes, Steve Hand coming on instead, to find that Bakare was still carrying out an extreme examination of the right side of Ruislip's defence. Manor should have levelled on 27 minutes though, when Ben Payne's shot glanced off the near post.
Michael Bakare crossed to Lee Roberts on 29 minutes, but Roberts was only able to clear the bar with his shot. A minute later, though, it was 2-0 as PHIL GOSS lashed the ball home from the right side of the box after a determined charge by Bakare led to a flick on by Kevin Cooper falling to the jubilant Goss.
Bakare still wasn't finished, and another excellant left wing cross was comfortably headed home by KEVIN COOPER, on 40 minutes, to make it 3-0. It was all Hertford now, and LEE ROBERTS finished off the half with a mirror image of his first goal, this time cutting into the box from the left before unleashing an unstoppable 45th minute drive past keeper Hunter.

Half Time: Ruislip Manor 0 Hertford Town 4

Ruislip made two more substitutions at half time in a last ditch attempt to salvage something but found themselves facing a strong wing and a Hertford town determined to keep a clean sheet. The half was only 7 minutes old when Hertford made a double substitution, replacing Paul Taylor with Mark Seller, and Michael Bakare with Tony Neilson, making his debut on return from Broxbourne Borough.
Neilson immediately got to work down the left, and Kevin Cooper should have done better when he stabbed at Neilson's clever cross. Manor's Terry Gibbs looked to have been harshly booked when he and Pablo Ardiles clashed in a tackle, then, on 63 minutes, as Hertford were tearing the Ruislip defence to shreds, they were awarded a penalty when KEVIN COOPER crashed to the ground under a challenge from the young goalkeeper. Coops resisted the temptation to give the penalty to Lee Roberts, and duly crashed the ball home to make it 5-0.
Kevin Kilroy fell to the ground injured on 68 minutes and after lengthy treatment was helped off the field with what turned out to be a gashed knee. Nick Turner came on as a ready made replacement. Pany tried a 20 yard effort which wasn't far wide and then a Tony Neilson shot-cum-cross fell onto the outside of the netting. Ruislip's top goalscorer Swaysland managed a couple of goals at the end of the earlier game at Hertford and looked like he was determined to do the same again. His 80th minute strike was comfortably held by Mark Virgo on the gound though. PHIL GOSS added number six when he followed up in typical fashion to slide a loose ball home. He so nearly got the hat-trick his overall performance merited when he made a great run and shot only to see the ball deflected for a corner.
Then Mickey Swaysland got his goal to spoil Hertford's clean sheet. He and Glenn Draper challenged for a ball just inside the box, and Swaysland went down under the challenge. Although Draper protested that he had got the ball first, the referee awarded a spot kick, which Swaysland duly put past Mark Virgo.

Right at the end, LEE ROBERTS tucked away another 15 yard finish to make the score 7-1 for the fourth time this season - a remarkable statisitic - and complete a well deserved hat-trick.

Final score: Ruislip Manor 1 Hertford Town 7