Match 32. Hatfield Town v Hertford Town

Saturday 22^nd February 2014 @3pm

Spartan South Midlands Premier Division

HATFIELD TOWN 0-2 HERTFORD TOWN

Gosling Sports Park, Stanborough Road, Welwyn Garden City

 

Admission: £6 including programme

Attendance: h/c 46

Refreshments: Hot Dog, £2. Tomato & Veg Soup 70p. Mars bar, 70p

 

I was going to visit Crawley Green at their home for a rare venue instead of at Barton Rovers but coupled with leaving late and M25 being 50mph from M11 to A1, I chose my back up of Hatfield Town.  Pitches with Athletic tracks are not my bag but I tried to have an open mind.  After parking, the football is located to the left side of the complex, which includes a vast array of sports facilities.  I entered down the hill and through the turnstile (shed) and located the snack bar on the right.  The players changing rooms are further along the touchline and up the grass banking to the changing block.  The covered seated stand is to the left of the entrance with large supporting pillars obstructing many of the seats.  The pitch is surrounded by a 6 lane running track and a banked cycling 450 metre circuit.  This makes the pitch about 20 yards away at its narrowest and much further behind each goal.

 

After counting 15 in the ground, I heard voiced support coming from above the stand a few minutes in.  As I hadn’t had time to have a proper look inside the Gosling centre before the game, I would venture in at half time. Inside there are 5-a-side/badminton indoor pitches and at the end of the corridor “The Trackside Bar” with a note advertising the admission prices of the game.  The visitor can enter the bar area, pay their admission and watch the match on a balcony on the roof of the stand.  The view from here is much better so I spent the 2^nd half there, together with the mainly Hertford supporters, who outnumbered the home support by 2:1. There was also some funny banter between them and the diehard Hatfield fan who shouts “Come on Hatfield” on regular intervals.  Not as bad as Mr Ash Ash United though.  I learned that half the gate money was being handed to the visiting committee to help them through their flooding troubles, which is a nice gesture.

 

The match was lacking quality, maybe as both teams have been short on match practice for 2 months.  However, the first half was fairly equal.  The best chance of the half fell to Hertford.  The number 11 took it and hit the base of the keepers left hand post and rebounded into play.  The follow up was excellently saved by Ricketts, palming right of the post at full length.

  

The second half started with a Hertford goal 4 minutes in.  The offside trap was beaten by no 10 Leigh Rose who let the ball bounce twice before lobbing over the keeper into the corner of the net.  After 70 minutes a similar pass split the defence and this time Leigh Rose controlled it, drew the keeper and slid the ball past him into the empty net.  To be fair, Hertford from then on dominated the rest of the game and should have added to their score, but for the fascination for Rose to get a hat trick when at least 2 chances were easier to score than pass.  However the visiting fans were happy to come away with a win as well as watching 90 minutes football and they are a good bunch to be with.

 

If anyone visits this ground, I recommend viewing the game from the balcony.