ROYSTON TOWN 0 HERTFORD TOWN 7 (K Cooper 2, R.Redford 2, P Goss, L Roberts R Wade) JUST when the Crows thought the season could not get any worse – it did. Having gone 13 league games without a win, and with three players suspended, the last thing Phil

ROYSTON TOWN 0

HERTFORD TOWN 7

(K Cooper 2, R.Redford 2, P Goss,

L Roberts R Wade)

JUST when the Crows thought the season could not get any worse - it did.

Having gone 13 league games without a win, and with three players suspended, the last thing Phil Snowden's team needed was a home game against a Hertford Town side who had scored 102 goals in 33 games.

By the end of the game, Hertford had added another seven goals to their tally, and Royston had collected their 18th red card of the season.

The Crows had managed to contain promotion chasing Hertford without ever really looking capable of springing a surprise until the 34th minute dismissal of keeper Ken Kemato, and from then on it was downhill all the way.

The result saw the Crows drop back into the bottom two, but with Haringey Borough drawing 2-2 with Kingsbury on Tuesday evening, the north London side moved ahead of them in the table on goal difference.

The Crows are two points from the safety zone, but the margin is effectively three points due to their appalling goal difference.

With a trip to league leaders Edgware Town on Saturday, it certainly will not get any easier for Snowden's suspension-hit side.

The visitors started strongly, with former Crow Panny Panayiotou and Phil Goss both going close before they took the lead in the 14th minute.

Ryan Redford's cross from the left was eventually forced over the line from by Kevin Cooper after the Crows had failed to clear the ball.

Kemato brought off a good save from Kevin Kilroy to keep the Crows in the game before the key moment in the game came 11 minutes before the break.

Ryan Wade was fouled 15 yards outside the box, and the free-kick was knocked into the box, Pete Chappell needlessly tripped Cooper as he tried to turn.

It was a clear penalty, but Kemato's prolonged arguing with referee Andy Crawford - who had a good game throughout - earned him a yellow card followed by a red one as he refused to stop his protests.

Forward Brad Jackson went in goal, and Cooper sent him the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-0.

Hertford's third came on 44 minutes when Royston conceded yet another free kick in a dangerous position. This time Ryan Wade stepped up to fire directly into goal from 25 yards, with Jackson unable to get near.

There was still time for Hertford to go 4-0 up before the break, as Redford took possession of the ball in the right hand corner of the box, cut in and fired into the far corner in fine style.

Regular stand-in keeper Gregg Jackson replaced his brother between the sticks at half-time, with Mark Saunders making way, and Royston were given a brief glimmer of hope two minutes into the second half when Panayiotou received a straight red card for an elbow while jumping for the ball with Brad Jackson.

The evening up of numbers made little difference as Hertford made it 5-0 in the 55th minute when Lee Roberts fired home, and although Jez McMurrough did see an effort disallowed for offside, the mercurial Redford made it 6-0 in the 65th minute after a period of panic in the home defence.

By now it was simply damage limitation for the home team, and Hertford wrapped things up in the 81st minute when Goss scored from an acute angle when he cut in from the right to complete a miserable day for the beleaguered Crows.

Royston: K Kemato, D Miles, C Geldart, M Saunders (G Jackson), M Bloss, P Chappell, J McMurrough, B Poole, B Jackson (S Bowles), L Rogers, J Nash (K Blair)