Hertford Town repeated their final glory of last season to claim the National League Under 19 Alliance Champion of Champions title with a penalty shootout win over Dartford.

Dartford led early on through George Whitefield before a quick-fire Hertford double – through Joe Nardelli and then Harry Peterson – levelled things up. A late equaliser from Finley Sillince was in vain as penalties decided Hertford’s fate.

Both sides traded blows in the early stages, but Hertford went closest when Peterson broke the defensive line to slip in Sonny Coughlin-Howe, but his shot was well saved by Reece Hobbs.

Nardelli cleared off the line moments later for Hertford. From the resulting corner, Dartford took the lead. Skipper Whitefield headed home Olly Box’s in-swinging corner with 16 minutes on the clock.

Dartford took that lead into the half-time break but were pegged back and then some by Hertford Town. Nardelli levelled things up six minutes into the second half, heading home a corner. Four minutes later, Peterson got his goal, sweeping home a drilled cross from the right to turn things around.

A game of few chances burst into life for the wrong reasons just after the hour mark. Onrushing Hertford goalkeeper William Kiers brought down a Dartford man and received a red card.

Substitute Dan Gee was on hand to make a superb save to deny Dartford on 80 minutes, but it proved to be in vain – in normal time at least.

Sillince – on from the bench – surged past Sonny Coughlin-Browne before slotting home his shot to haul Dartford level with three minutes of normal time left.

The game went straight to penalties and neither side looked like veering off course – the scores level with five penalties scored each after five taken. Gee saved Dartford’s sixth penalty leaving Zen Cunningham with the chance to win it – an invitation he took with no hesitation to claim the Champion of Champions title for Hertford Town.