Hemel Hempstead Town edge Berkhamsted in Herts Senior Cup

Hemel Hempstead Town overcame a spirited Berkhamsted side 2-0 to move into the third round of the Herts Senior Cup.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at Berkhamsted’s Broadwater ground but, after a weather forecast that predicted torrential rain all day, both clubs decided it would be better to play the fixture on Hemel’s 3G surface at Vauxhall Road.

The Tudors fielded two Academy lads in their line up as Ethan Holt and Max Rosner made their first-team debuts with assistant-manager Dan Jones also starting the game.

The Comrades also made a number of changes to their starting line-up as both managers used the fixture to give their squads some minutes on the pitch.

Hemel had the majority of the possession and chances in the first half but Berko came closest to breaking the deadlock when Cheyce Grant rattled the crossbar with a header after good work by Mohamded Bangura.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, with the home side dominating the ball but the Comrades looking dangerous on the counter.

The visitors had unfortunately lost Connor Toomey, who suffered a nasty looking thumb injury just before the interval and Phil Draycott got injured in a robust looking challenge on Josh Castiglione and had to be replaced at the break.

Hemel finally broke the deadlock through Aaron Simpson who had gone close earlier in the game, this time he was allowed too much time and space on the edge of the box and he drove the ball past Comas-Leon.

Both sides made changes after this and the game started to become a bit more open with ex-Tudor Lewis Toomey coming close after he chased down a long ball down the left, he took it wide and drilled his effort across the face of the goal but it went of the far post.

Ethan Holt almost scored on his debut when he headed onto the underside of the crossbar but the bar bounced out and was cleared.

Hemel added a second goal with the last kick of the game when Gus Scott-Morriss raced clear down the right after a superb cross-field ball from Reece Robins, he dinked the ball round the keeper and with a couple of defenders on the line he smashed it into the roof of the net to bring the game to a close.

So Hemel finally get that illusive home win and with three games to come in succession at Vauxhall Road, the first of which is against Slough Town on Saturday, they will be hoping for more of the same in the next couple of weeks.

Berko, meanwhile, have been drawn at home to either Swindon Supermarine or Wantage Town in the quarter-finals of the Southern League Challenge Cup on Tuesday, January 11.

The Division One Central leaders head to AFC Dunstable this weekend before travelling to St Neots Town next Tuesday night.

Hemel: King, Castiglione (sub Scott-Morriss), Simpson, Stephens, Rosner, Emovon, Robins, Jones (sub Curruthers), Holt, Maghoma, Nembhard (sub Kpekawa). Subs not used: Hayes, Cerulli.

Berkhamsted: Xavi, M Banagura, Cooper, Frederick, Kinnane, Goodman, Draycott (sub Cash) C Toomey (sub A Bangura), Tabor, Kirkpatrick, Grant (sub L Toomey). Subs not used: Smith, Groom.