Lee Roberts was not recovered from the foot injury he received on Tuesday evening, so losing his ever present record. Kevin Ashwood came in on the right of midfield, with Scott Neilson switching to the left.
Team: 1. Mark Virgo, 2. Nicky Marsh, 3. Pablo Ardiles, 4. John Barker (capt), 5. Matt Watts, 6. Paul Taylor, 7. Scott Neilson, 8.Leo Turner, 9. Ryan Redford, 10. Kevin Cooper, 11. Kevin Ashwood. Subs Used: 15. Ashley McAloon (for Ashwood, 81), 16. Panayiotis Panayiotou (for Taylor, 72)
Hertford had a large following on their first ever league visit to the Recreation Ground, and seven of the Blues' side were returning to their former club. Ryan Brown and Melvyn Thompson were the only ex-Blues in the home side. There was a nice gesture at the start when Hertford's skipper John Barker and his brother Steve, St Margaretsbury captain for the day, were photographed with the match officials before the kick-off.
There was little brotherly love once the game started though, when, as expected, the home side tried all they could to stifle Hertford's attacking style. The narrow pitch assisted them in doing this and there seemed little space for the visitor's front two to work with.
Hertford did get an opportunity in the very first minute, but it fell to Leo Turner, whose shot was screwed wide of the post. St Margaretsbury had a better chance two minutes later, when ex-Blue Ryan Brown saw his shot kicked off the line by Nicky Marsh.
Brown nearly scored again on 11 minutes, when he struck a shot just wide of the goal. Then, just when it was starting to look like Hertford were getting the measure of the home side, the referee spotted a push in the box, and awarded St Margaretsbury a penalty, which STEVE BARKER duly dispatched to open the scoring on 13 minutes.
St Margaretsbury were very competitive and began to find their way into the referee's notebook from early in the game. First was Jack Night for a tackle from behind on Scott Neilson. From the free kick taken by Neilson, the ball clearly struck a defenders hand but the referee was not inclined to view it as deliberate, and waved away appeals for a penalty. Matt Maskell was next to see yellow, for dissent, and was perhaps lucky to stay on the field as he continued to complain bitterly to the referee, after he had been booked. The home side were wasting what chances they got with woeful shooting but were containing Hertford with some ease.Darren Williams fouled Ryan Redford, but Paul Taylor's free kick was way below his usual standard, and came to nothing. Kevin Ashwood popped up in the centre and his shot rebounded back to him so quickly that he could only scoop the ball over the bar with his second effort.Ryan Redford then got in an overhead kick from 12 yards which 'keeper Kris Smithers gratefully clutched to his chest.
At the other end, St Margaretsbury's Maskell skied another effort high over the bar.

Half Time: St Margaretsbury 1 Hertford Town 0

Hertford won two early free kicks, and St Margaretsbury's booking tally rose to four, as Joe Barnett and Kevin Gray were shown yellow. Hertford equalised on 50 minutes, when SCOTT NEILSON took the second free kick, about 25 yards out and blasted the ball into the net, with a deflection on the way taking the ball away from 'keeper Smithers into the left corner of the net. The 40 or so Hertford fans behind the goal went wild in celebration and urged their favourites on to a winner.
On 56 minutes they bayed for a penalty when Ryan Redford was barged off the ball in the area, but they were again disappointed.
St Margaretsbury withdrew Ryan Brown and sent on another ex-Blue in Melvin Thompson. On the hour Hertford won a free kick when Ben Tobin chopped down Ryan Redford, but Leo Turner's shot rebounded off Kris Smithers in the home goal. Darren Williams appeared to have a lucky let-off when the officials appeared to miss his kick at Kevin Cooper as the striker lay on the ground. On 68 minutes, Kevin Cooper lobbed the ball goalwards from 30 yards, with 'keeper Smithers back-pedalling furiously, but the custodian managed to get under the ball in time and catch it before it crossed the goal-line. Pani Panayiotou came on for Paul Taylor on 72 minutes, and then Ryan Redford became the only Hertford player to be booked when he appeared to exact bit of revenge on Joe Barnett, who required treatment before he could continue. Ashley McAloon came on for Kevin Ashwood, as manager Dave Greenwood looked to shore up the defence. On 83 minutes, Mark Virgo was called into action for his first real save of the game, when he acrobatically turned a shot from point blank range around the post. on 88 minutes St Margaretsbury made another substitution when Tony Smith replaced Kevin Gray, as the continued to try and disrupt the pattern of Hertford's play. Kevin Cooper saw a shot cleared off the line and Leo Turner blasted another effort over the bar. as Hertford mounted a real blitz on the home goal. They got their reward as St Margaretsbury were unable to withstand the wave of attacks, and in the 3rd minute of added time, KEVIN COOPER pounced onto a loose ball and thumped it against the underside of the crossbar, over the line and out again. The Blues' fans joined in the wild celebrations a it looked like Cooper had snatched an unlikely victory with his strike. St Margaretsbury's Ben Tobin was booked for dissent, becoming the 5th home player to see yellow
St Margaretsbury did not throw the towel in though, and with six minutes of added time played, and the referee not interested in ending the game, DARREN WILLIAMS stole in to head home a corner, unchallenged, at the near post. St Margaretsbury so nearly won the game as ex-Blue Melvyn Thompson's shot was just turned around the post by Mark Virgo.
If there was any consolation from this game, it was that Hertford now seem able to cope better with the more physical sides in the league - both games thisweek have certainly proved that.
Final Score: St Margaretsbury 2 Hertford Town 2