Following a frustrating 4-1 defeat away to Royston to open the season, it was crucial to get off the mark early on. With skipper Richard Hughes absent, Jon Yates took over captaining duties. As the whistle went, Bar struck early in a clinical and professional manner, netting 4 times in the first half seemingly whilst Berkhamsted were still half asleep. This was not to say that Bar had all the attacks, and although Keeper Ryan Maidment was forced to make a couple of fantastic saves the opposition were mostly snuffed out in our final third.
Immediately after the second half whistle Bar let the initiative slip into the hands of the opposition. There were long periods of Berkhamsted revival for tiring 10 minute periods, each punctuated by (perhaps undeservedly) by 3 classic counter attacking goals from Bar. Miraculously, Berkhamsted's lengthy periods of pressure went unrewarded, except for midway through the second half when a shot took an unfortunate ricochet off the stick of Nathan Stiffin and into the far left hand corner.
To give credit where credit is due, despite the ever climbing score line Berkhamsted did not give up and played with a much higher rate of urgency in the second half; it would be an understatement to say the score line flattered Potters Bar. In the end however, the link up play between the 3 attacking players Andy Latham, James Latham and Rich Laverick-Brown was simply too fast and too precise for the Berkhamsted back line. Two hat tricks from Andy Latham and James Latham, and a goal from Simon Kelly more than secured the first 3 points of the season, and we hope this is a sign of things to come.
MVP: James Latham
TFC: Nathan Stiffin
Report from Stephen Demery