Beleaguered Blues' manager Dave Greenwood saw his threadbare squad gain all three points against neighbours Welwyn Garden City today. Missing the suspended Nicky Burt, unavailable Phil Goss, Nicky Marsh and Glenn Draper and injured Mark Virgo and Panayiotis Panayiotou, Greenwood gave a start to Reserve team regular Rory Brien, and new signing Robbie Carroll came in at centre half.

The larger than average crowd was boosted further by the arrival of a group of nine Norwegian holidaymakers who had decided to vist Hertford for the weekend, especially to see the game! Now that's real groundhopping!

Teams: Hertford Town - 1. Nick Barnaby, 2. Pablo Ardiles, 3. Louis Lancaster, 4. Kevin Kilroy (Capt), 5. Robbie Carroll, 6. Ryan Wade, 7. Ross Collins, 8. Rory Brien, 9. Ryan Redford, 10. Kevin Cooper, 11. Lee Roberts. Subs Used: 12. Paul Taylor (for Wade, 77), 14. Dave Greenwood (for Cooper, 88), 15. Alex Scriven (for Brien, 86))
Welwyn Garden City - 1. Simon Bartley, 2. Cedric Lakole, 3. Jordan Lockie, 4. Joseph Tabiri, 5. Anthony Beamish, 6. Craig McKay, 7. Matt McArdle, 8. Jason Williams, 9. Matt Wardle, 10. Alex Kinsley, 11. Ryan Mattos. Subs Used: 12. Dave Parkinson (for Mattos, 68), 14. Danny Griggs (for McArdle,62), 15. Adam Reid, for Lockie, 56).

The visitors could have taken a 27 second lead when Matt Wardle got in a good shot on target, but home 'keeper Nick Barnaby pulled off a fine flying save. With still less than a minute gone, Matt McArdle fired over with a 25 yarder as The Citizens really went for Hertford.
The aggression only lasted for a couple of minutes though, and Hertford soon took over. Kevin Cooper played a good ball out to Lee Roberts, who ran on but placed his cross beyond everyone. Ryan Redford won a corner which Lee Roberts played short to Ryan Wade, who saw his effort headed away. The visitors won an 8th minute corner but then it was all Hertford. They won a free kick when Redford was fouled, and Lee Roberts' kick skimmed Robbie Carroll's head, as the new signing tried to make it a scoring debut. Rory Brien played a superb through ball for Redford to run on to, but the striker's snap shot was just too high. The Blues took a lead on 12 minutes when Ryan Redford's fine work down the right led to his cross being sidefooted into his own net by Citizen's skipper Anthony Beamish, under pressure from Kevin Cooper.
Ryan Wade won a free kick 35 yards out, and got on to the end of Kevin Kilroy's high free kick, but his looping header fell on to the roof of the net. A sweet move involving Wade, Collins, Cooper and Ardiles led to Rory Brien shooting just wide of the post then Pablo Ardiles ran down the wing before passing to Ryan Redford, whose effort was blocked for a corner. Rory Brien took the kick and Ross Collins played the ball to Ryan Redford, whose spectacular bicycle kick was held by Simon Bartley.
When City won a 33rd minute corner, the tall Anthony Beamish headed over the bar. Blues won three corners in rapid succession, but the visitors defence held firm. Nick Barnaby punched the ball off Matt Wardle's head in a rare bit of action for him, before Hertford resumed their battering of the Citizen's goal. The second goal came on 44 minutes, when Ryan Wade crossed from the right, and RYAN REDFORD's looping header beat Bartley in the visitor's goal. In added time at the end of the half, City won two corners, and Joseph Tabiri headed wide from the second of these, when he might have done better.

Half Time: Hertford Town 2 Welwyn Garden City 0

The visitors began the second half as they had the first, attacking the home goal. On-loan Barnet youngster Ryan Mattos had been moved into the middle from the wing, and he forced a flat handed save from Nick Barnaby on 48 minutes. A minute later, City's Alex Kinsley was booked for kicking out at Rory Brien. As in the first half, Hertford rode the tide and gradually got back on top. City had to replace injured full back Lockie on 56 minutes, Adam Reid coming on instead. When City won a corner on the hour, Anthony Beamish's on-target header was blocked by Pablo Ardiles. Danny Griggs came on for Matt McArdle on 62 minutes, then Joseph Tabiri's shot was blocked by the impressive Robbie Carroll. When Hertford won their next corner, Craig McKay saved the day when Robbie Carroll was about to net.
Pablo Ardiles found himself in the visitors' six yard box, but trod on the ball as he tried to convert. Then Lee Roberts played a clever 1-2 with Ross Collins and saw his shot tipped over the bar for a corner. Immediately after this City sent on striker Dave Parkinson for Ryan Mattos. Parkinson made an immediate impact as City refused to give up. Ryan Redford received a 73rd minute booking for a foul on Jason Williams, but this did not put him off, as he put Hertford 3-0 up on 74 minutes, when they broke away from a City attack, and REDFORD dispossessed Cedric Lakole, the sole defender back, ran on, rounded 'keeper Bartley and stroked the ball home.
On 75 minutes, Pablo Ardiles was heavily fouled by Anthony Beamish, as he broke away down the right. Beamish was perhaps lucky to receive only a yellow card. City were becoming more and more dangerous, and won a corner on 77 minutes. Although Kevin Cooper headed the ball away, it was played back in and defender CRAIG McKAY got a goal back with a simple close range tap-in.
Ryan Wade had been an injury doubt right up to the game, and had done extremely well to last so long, but he was replaced by Paul Taylor on 77 minutes. Kevin Cooper looked to be about to head Hertford's fourth when Jason Williams beat him too it. Nick Barnaby had to punch away when City's Danny Griggs fired in a free kick, and when City won an 83rd minute corner, it was headed clear by Kevin Cooper. Cooper made his third headed clearance from a corner on 85 minutes, then Rory Brien limped off to be replaced by ex-Citizen Alex Scriven. In a move to counter Anthony Beamish moving up to centre forward, Dave Greenwood came on at the expense of striker Cooper. Ironically, City got another goal back immediately when DANNY GRIGGS headed home when a throw in was flicked on to him, in circumstances where the substituted Cooper had previously been heading everything away.
As the game moved into added time, Hertford broke away and Alex Scriven got free in the box with only the keeper to beat, and was pulled down as he rounded Bartley. The referee immediately awarded a penalty, but stunned the home crowd by showing the keeper a yellow card, not a red. With regular penalty taker Cooper off the field, Ryan Redford stepped up to try and get his hat-trick, against a former club. Inevitably, Bartley saved the kick, pushing it round the post. Kevin Kilroy was booked for shooting after the referee had whistled for an infringement, Seemingly harsh punishment compared to bringing down a player to save a certain goal!
The referee continued to incense the home supporters by playing on, and on, and on. Pablo Ardiles was fouled heavily by Danny Griggs, and despite a long lecture, no booking appeared to have been made. Finally, the ref brought the game to an end after 10 minutes of added time: taking the game overall, Hertford deserved their win, but if City had applied themselves throughoutas they did for the final 20 minutes, the result might have been different.

Final Score: Hertford Town 3 Welwyn Garden City 2 We hope you will find our website helpful and informative . There is a separate "Fans Forum", for which the Club accepts no reponsibility .