HARPENDEN II: 0
STEVENAGE: 7
05.02.2005.

When you're 3-nil down after 5 minutes, you know it's going to be a tough game.

Stevenage first team are head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in Division3 - or at least, they were. because with this convincing victory over the blues, they sealed their promotion to Division 2 with 6 games to spare. Realistically, Harpenden knew that this game was unlikely to go their way and, while approaching the game full of confidence having beaten Bedford and West Herts in the two preceeding weeks, the blues were really looking to keep morale intact before a big six-pointer with Royston.

The half-time score was 6-0, so it's a credit to Harpeden that they kept the visitors down to one goal in the second half and, for lengthy periods, actually had Stevenage under pressure, They deserved a consolation goal, and indeed should have been awarded a penalty flick due to a blatant shove on the line, but it wasn't to be. But, ultimately, the blues will happily swap the goal-that-should-have-been for one more goal than Royston on the 12th.

Dan Pickard: Hasn't had his mugshot up here for a while