An early goal gave Hertford Town a derby victory and all the Southern League bragging rights over Welwyn Garden City.

And if the 1-0 loss wasn't hard enough to swallow for the watching Citizens supporters, manager Marc Weatherstone was scathing in his judgement. calling it “one of the worst performances I’ve seen from us in the two years I’ve been here".

“We just never got going at any stage in the game," he added. "There wasn’t one good display from a player in a claret shirt."

A crowd of 320 was given scant fayre to enjoy in a game where clear-cut chances were as rare as entertainment.

Hertford did clearly deserve their victory though, being the brighter side throughout.

And they did so after being struck an early blow, midfielder Jed Brown-Johnson limping out after just four minutes with a hamstring pull.

He was replaced by Jimmy Doherty who went on to have a decisive game in their midfield.

He wasn't involved in the goal though, that build up was all down to young Hertford starlet Riley Carr.

He cut inside on 10 minutes and although that shot was saved by City's Joe Welch, the loose ball was finally forced in among the melee by Adeniyi Gbolahan.

Joe Bennett was playing against the club he started the season with. Picture: PETER SHORTJoe Bennett was playing against the club he started the season with. Picture: PETER SHORT (Image: Peter Short) Even with a goal so early in the game, WGC weren’t able to muster much in the way of a reply.

Eddie Corbit had a weak overhead effort straight at Hertford keeper James Callan, after good work by Joe Bennett, playing against the club where he started the season as captain.

Bailey Stevenson was well subdued by the resolute Hertford defence, although he escaped once to latch onto a Brad Wadkins pass, only to shoot well wide.

It wasn’t until two minutes from the interval that WGC had their only real chance of the game.

A pass from Corbit was cleverly flicked on by Wadkins into the path of Stevenson, but the top scorer shot hastily and against Callan’s legs, to see Hertford still a goal ahead at the break.

The second-half brought little improvement and while WGC had more possession and dominated territory, they created very little.

Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo switched passes with Corbit, but saw his final shot blocked and then a WGC free-kick found the head of Aiden Read, but his downward header was easily saved by Callan.

In a rare break, Hertford’s Carr, watched by a posse of scouts, broke free and went past four home defenders, before Otsei-Taiwo got in a vital block to keep WGC just a goal behind.

And that’s the way it stayed.

WGC forced a succession of corners late in the game and from the last one, they felt they should have had a penalty when Ryan Kirwan went down.

That was after the final whistle had sounded though to finally end a highly forgettable encounter.

WGC: Welch, Otseh-Taiwo, Eadie, Ejjayha, Read, Kirwan, McDonald (Jones L 76), Bennett, Corbit (Cameron 62), Stevenson, Wadkins.

Subs (not used): Steel, Weatherstone, Whichelow.