Harpenden Town shared the points in a hard fought game in really tough conditions with a 3-3 draw against Chesham United Reserves on Saturday.

The match started early for Town fans who were instructed by the referee to fork the Rothamsted Park pitch for an hour in freezing conditions to get rid of standing water so the game could go ahead. And the conditions told the story of the match with both sides struggling to keep their feet in the winter mud.

Harpenden started well with a beautifully worked goal after 12 minutes. Tom Warren got on to a goal kick and passed to Nick Elliot who sent Mark Hitchcock wide to the right for him to cross the ball into the penalty area. Number nine Harry Hunt dummied to allow Tom Collin to shoot from the left giving the goalie no chance.

In the slippery conditions, a clearance fell at the feet of Anthony Burns on the edge of the box and he elegantly lofted the ball over the keeper for Harpenden’s second. Then, after 32 minutes, a Town defender lost his footing as the ball stopped dead and Chesham’s Chris Mason had only Town’s keeper Sam Taylor to beat to peg one back.

Just a minute later Hunt crossed for Elliot to shoot which was parried by the keeper and somehow Elliot kept on his feet to slot in the rebound for Harpenden to go 3-1 ahead. On 39 minutes Chesham’s Jack Harris found himself clear on goal after Harpenden failed to clear the ball to make it 3 - 2 at half time.

Both teams struggled in the second half as the conditions deteriorated but Chesham drew level on the 85th minute after some neat passing on the edge of the box let Charlie Jones through for the equaliser.

Harpenden manager Danny Plumb said:” I am disappointed. Of course the conditions were bad but we are letting in too many goals.”