Ware 3 Hertford Town 3

Fourth from bottom Hertford tore up the form book with a resolute performance against play-off chasers Ware as they imposed themselves on the game from the kick off. The home side, playing a 3-5-2 formation, had difficulty coping with a side that was clearly determined to end a run of poor results.

Play maker Percy Kiangebeni was the source of much of what Hertford did going forward but it was Alfie Cue who was a torment to the Ware defence. Together they conducted an assault on the home side that drew in support from all over the pitch as the visitors played a high tempo game. They had the same Ware starting eleven that beat Harlow 5-0 in midweek looking decidedly second best.

When Ware did get forward it was from clearances rather than working the ball up from defence and there was a lack of conviction about much of what they did. Not so on 22 minutes though when they won a corner on the right. Tom Bruno's kick swung into the six yard area where there was some momentary pinball before Louis Rose seized the chance to shoot home from close range.

Any possible Hertford collapse following this reverse didn't materialise and after a brief rally by Ware the visitors were back to moving the ball around with pace and skill. A free kick to the visitors on 26 minutes was taken quickly and caught the home defence napping. As the ball bounced unkindly off a Ware defender Ben Herd was on hand to exploit the situation and score past a wrong footed Calum Kitscha.

Ware seemed unable to respond yet it looked as though they would make it to half time until Cue chased a seemingly lost cause, saved the ball from going out of play and rounded Louis Rose whose tackle could do no more than bring him down in the penalty area. Cue took the kick himself and scored just a minute from the break.

The second period started well enough for Ware as they looked as though they were going to make a game of it. However, they were rocked back just two minutes in when Kiangebeni had the ball just inside the home half. He moved forward a few paces before unleashing a shot that found the top of the net from distance.

Ware did keep pushing to get something out of the game and Nicholas Hayes had to bring out a good save to deny a header on 53 minutes as the home side started to have the majority of play. Even so in a period of end to end action Cue almost emulated Kiangebeni when his shot came off the top of Kitscha's cross bar before Kyle Roberts set up Bruno for a shot that took a deflection before hitting Hayes right post and away for a corner.

This produced one of the turning points of the game when Cue, in the mix with other players waiting for the corner, responded to some close attention from Louis Rose with an elbow to the face. A red card was inevitable and Hertford were not only reduced to ten men but lost one of the best performers on the day.

Ware responded to the opportunity and upped their game not least when Louis Rose lofted a ball into the Hertford six yard area where his brother Leigh was able to turn past the bodies of defenders and guide the ball in at the far post for the home side's second goal.

Sensing that their time had come Ware continued to search for another goal and Hayes was on top form to prevent good shots from both Dan Rumens and Williams Danquah turning into an equaliser.

Yet slowly the Ware tide ebbed and Kiangebeni was back in action twisting and turning out of trouble before shooting just over. It began to look as though Ware's chance had gone as Hertford came back into contention to fashion openings but also play keep ball at the corner flag.

But Ware summoned up a last effort and in one attack the ball was somehow cleared off the Hertford goal line before two minutes later a second move forward found Josh Williams turning towards the edge of the penalty area before dropping a cross into the box. There was Louis Rose also under pressure from defenders but somehow able to guide the ball home for the equaliser. It was the sixth minute of added time already extended by another injury.

Even then there were another two minutes left but they were not enough and the game ended in what any neutrals in the crowd would have thought an entertaining draw. For Ware the gloss of a point saved at the last was tarnished by the realisation that two home points had been let slip. For Hertford there was the knowledge that they had been the better team for much of the time, they too would have been thinking of two points lost.

Ware: Calum Kitscha, Williams Danquah (Josh Williams 83mins), Dan Rumens, Leigh Rose, Louis Rose, Dave Kendall, Sam Chaney (Alaa Oujdi 61mins), Tom Bruno, Liam Hope, Kyle Roberts, Pat Adamson. Unused subs: Kardan Campbell, Gareth Madden, Harry Norman.