If Watford are to reach their 27th Herts Senior Cup Final, then tonight they are going to have do something no other team has done at Berkhamsted’s Glencar Community Stadium – beat the home team.

The Hornets make the 12-mile trip up the A41 to face a club that proudly boasts the best home record of any team in the top eight tiers of English football.

In fact, no side has even managed to avoid defeat in a competitive match this season at Berkhamsted’s archetypal non-league ground, sandwiched between the train line from Euston to the midlands, and the Grand Union Canal.

It’s place where you are always assured of a warm welcome – until you get out onto the pitch. The Comrades have won 21 consecutive home games during this campaign.

Last Tuesday night, Berko beat Thame United 1-0 at home thanks to a fine overhead kick from substitute Josh Chamberlain in the 84th minute that led to wild scenes of celebration.

The Comrades are a whopping 18 points clear of second-placed Biggleswade Town in the Southern League Division One Central and looked nailed on to win the league and achieve promotion.

Berko are currently averaging 2.64 points per league game, putting them ahead of runaway Isthmian League North leaders Hashtag United (2.63), the much-vaunted Wrexham (2.43) in the National League and Premier League pacesetters Arsenal (2.42).

On Saturday they claimed a thrilling 4-3 win at seventh-placed Cirencester, Ryan Blake scoring the Comrades’ stoppage-time winner after the hosts had drawn level three times.

In their 21-game winning sequence at home, Berko have scored 62 times and conceded just 11. They have kept a dozen clean sheets in front of their own fans to boot.

Putting their amazing home form to one side, Berko are currently on a run of 12 consecutive wins, home and away, in all competitions. In that time they have banged in 36 goals and conceded just eight.

En route to their meeting with the Hornets this evening, Berko beat Kings Langley in the first round (4-2 at home), then won 3-2 away at Harpenden Town in the second round before a 3-0 home win over Enfield in the quarter-finals.

Watford had a bye through the first round, then won 1-0 at Hertford in the second round before winning 2-0 away at London Lions in the quarter-finals.

The winners of tonight’s semi-final will meet Hitchin Town (where Tobi Adeyemo spent a spell on loan this season) in the final later in the season. Hitchin claimed a 2-0 semi-final win at Cheshunt last week.

The Hornets have fielded young Under-21 teams on their way to the semi-finals, and they’ve shown by winning two ties with clean sheets they can handle the challenges of coming up against older and more experienced players.

With 18 wins, Watford are the second most successful team in Herts Senior Cup history (Barnet lead the way with 19), but the Hornets have not lifted the trophy since they beat Boreham Wood 4-2 in the 2003/04 final.

Indeed, that was the last time Watford have reached the final of the Herts Senior Cup, which is the oldest county-based competition in the country having started way back in the 1886/87 season (when Hoddesdon beat Watford Rovers 5-2 in the final).

It’s no coincidence that Watford’s most successful years in the competition began when Graham Taylor became manager.

The Hornets beat Tring Town 3-1 to lift the cup in the 1977/78 season, starting a run of seven successes in eight seasons.

Watford won the Herts Senior Cup 11 times between 1978 and 1995, and were runners-up twice during the same period.

Berkhamsted have won the competition twice, the most recent being a 2-0 win over Cheshunt in the 2002/03 renewal.

However, it’s worth noting that both those Herts Senior Cup wins were by Berkhamsted Town, a club which was dissolved in 2009. Supporters set up Berkhamsted FC that same year, and after joining the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two they have been promoted three times since to reach where they are today.

It’s well worth a trip to Berkhamsted tonight if you can get there, not just to get behind Watford’s youngsters as they attempt to reach a club final, but also to show support for a local grassroots club that is heading for a league title and literally has the best home record in the country in eight tiers of football.

The game kicks off at 7.45pm, and the postcode for the Glencar Community Stadium is HP4 2AL. Parking is very limited close to the ground, but with Berkhamsted train station right behind one goal there is a very handy alternative to driving.

Admission prices are £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, and Under-16s gain free entry if accompanied by a paying adult.

All supporters are welcome in the bar at the stadium, and that will be open from 6pm. There will also be a match programme available for £1.50