WEST HERTS completed a satisfactory, and ultimately comprehensive, 5-2 victory over local rivals Berkhamsted on Saturday, October 27.

West Herts began poorly with nervous passing and loose control gifting Berkhamsted early pressure and a very early goal.

However, the lessons of the last few weeks are being learned and the Watford side soon established a pattern to the game.

Sustained possession brought five short corners in succession and only two goal-line clearances kept Berkhamsted in the game.

Constant pressure around a crowded Berkhamsted D was finally rewarded as Graham Day peeled away from his marker to smash the ball home, the ball whistling past a startled keeper's helmet.

Despite West Herts retaining a firm grip over the game's direction, they were unable to add to the tally before half-time, giving Berkhamsted the opportunity to re-group.

However, Stags exerted similar control after the break, with more chances being created. Further short corners saw good chances go begging before the faintest of touches by Richard Ambrose from a Day pass squeezed the ball into the bottom corner.

With West Herts now looking comfortably the better side, and the movement and passing tiring Berkhamsted, Ambrose drove up the middle and crashed the ball toward goal where Cormac Hodgkinson's diving effort deflected the ball past the keeper.

Hodgkinson's acceleration up the right wing then saw him release a square ball to Neil Appleton at the top of the D, who found time and space to strike into the bottom corner.

At 4-1 up Stags relaxed a little, and the distribution from the back faltered, allowing Berkhamsted to claw one back, but Mark Lythaby secured the victory with a memorable finish in the dying minutes.

The result pushes the Stags up to third place in the Printwize Premier B table and extend their unbeaten run to six matches.

November 6, 2001 10:30