Key victories for Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted as both win 2-0

The Tudors made it five league games unbeaten with a 2-0 success at Slough Town in National League South.

While Berkhamsted also won 2-0, their victory at St Albans putting them fifth in the SPL Division One Central standings.

Hemel arrived at Arbour Park having never beaten their hosts at their new stadium and for the first 20 minutes it looked as though that record would not be challenged as Slough dominated the early exchanges, hitting the crossbar three minutes in through Matt Lench and Johnny Goddard and Josh Jackson shooting just wide (writes Allan Mitchell)

Ogo Obi lobbed just too high for Hemel while Tudors keeper Craig King superbly denied Lee Togwell.

The Tudors went in front against the run of play when Jernade Meade did well down the left before cutting the ball inside to Obi, who outmuscled his marker before curling a superb shot into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.

The second period saw the visitors step up their game with Kory Roberts seeing his header cleared off the line.

The goal that decided the game came in the 74th minute when Hemel had a free kick out on the right. It was fired into the back post where sub Bayley Brown rose above everyone else and guided it back across the face of the goal where it clipped the inside of the post and went in to seal the points.

Next up for Hemel is a re-arranged game against Cheshunt on Saturday (15th) at Vauxhall Road.

Berkhamsted, meanwhile, moved back into the play-off places in the SPL Division One Central with a 2-0 win at Waltham Abbey (writes Stuart Hastie)

The visitors went close through Ryan Blake’s effort which hit the post in the first-half, while Ryan Kinnane twice headed off target.

Two substitutions were key to the win, as Ethan Kessel and Jack Tompkins both came on in midfield and went on to get the only goals of the game in the last 15 minutes.

Jonathan Lacey was the architect of both goals. He beat the full back on the left and laid a cross back into the path of Kessel, who scored his first goal since joining The Comrades.

Lacey then threaded the ball to Tompkins, who got in front of the defence and slotted the ball home for what was also his first goal for the club.

Berko play host to Cirencester on Tuesday night.