LUKE Robins lived up to his star-billing with a second half masterclass in wing play as Royston Town shrugged aside Hertford to move into third place.

The Crows captain has been the subject of failed bids from Zamaretto League, premier division side Cambridge City in the past month and recently signed a deal with a new football management company run by ex-Formula One driver Mark Blundell.

In the second half against struggling Hertford, the 20-year-old showed what all the fuss was about with a sublime goal and two assists.

However, the game's first 45 minutes gave little indication of the goals that were to come. Without record goalscorer Kevin Cooper, Hertford looked bereft of a finisher and while Ryan Redford was full of running, it was often without an end product.

Attila Korsoveczki, playing out on the left rather than in his favoured striking slot, hit an early shot well wide before the Blues were forced into an early change after Harry Atkins injured himself while cynically bringing down Josh Bronti, who was flying past a trailed of challenges. Hertford player/manager Pablo Ardiles came on to slot into Atkins' left back role.

On 33 minutes, Korsoveczki put Redford through on goal with a clever flick, but Crows keeper Jorden Gibson spread himself well to block the striker's effort and Lewis Endacott launched into a superb last ditch challenge to end Ryan Gordon's interest in the rebound.

Hertford right-back Michael Cooper sent a looping header onto the top of the net before Lee Robinson fumbled Bronti's header against his post and then wide. The end of the half brought a flurry of yellow cards for Hertford's Joel Maybury and Ryan Gordon to add to Redford's earlier one and then Ross Collins got in on the act, all dished out for hefty challenges as the game became bogged down in the middle.

The match exploded to life 14 minutes into the second half. Robins made a lung-busting run from the halfway line into the Hertford box where he was picked out by a square ball. His shot was saved by Robinson, but the rebound fell perfectly for Bronti to slam home.

On 66 minutes the lead was doubled with a moment of pure inspiration from Robins. The tricky wide man picked the ball up 25 yards out, turned past his man and without needing to glance up struck a stinging shot into the postage stamp of the top corner with Robinson rooted to the spot and watching on helplessly.

Paul Attfield's youthful Crows side threatened to run away with it and Ross Collins and Ryan Lockett came close to adding to the score. In the end it was another Robins-inspired moment that did the job. Blues skipper Glenn Draper looked leaden-footed as the winger jinked past him and delivered a pinpoint cross onto the head of the unmarked Ricky Young and the forward glanced the ball into the corner.

Hertford grabbed a late consolation strike in injury time as Gordon's fizzing shot cracked against the upright and bounced back to Korsoveczki who fired past Gibson.