Potters Bar kept their East Hockey League Division One promotion push on track with a 2-1 home win over West Herts.

Four points from their final two games would guarantee them second place behind champions-elect Wapping but they will be pushed all the way by Crostyx who remain three points adrift.

The match at the Dame Alice Owen's-based hockey club started with Bar making most of the running and they nearly scored inside two minutes, Simon Tenwick pushing the ball beyond the goalkeeper but the angle proved too tight for Ed Whybrow to convert.

Mark Turpin then found himself in what looked like a perfect goal-scoring position after seven minutes but the chance was snuffed out by the West Herts goalkeeper who then produced a flying save to tip a Graham Abrey flick over the bar.

They weren't having it all their own way and the ever-dependable Ben Balmforth was called on twice to make crucial stops but the hosts had their best chance on 19 minutes with Turpin inches away from finding Whybrow in front of the net.

The rest of the half was fairly scrappy but Bar were able to finally take the lead straight after the half-time interval.

Miles Tomkins started it on 37 minutes with a tremendous run down the left and Turpin provided the final touch after being slipped the ball by Jonathan Elms.

And two minutes later the skipper had doubled his and his side's advantage when he provided the finish to a Harry Wilkinson pass.

Bar should really have maintained their momentum to finish the game off but they allowed West Herts back into the match with a deflected goal from a short corner and the rest of the game saw them earn the wrath of the umpires with three yellow cards and one green card being shown, meaning for five minutes they played with just nine men on the field.

Balmforth once again made a vital save on 57 minutes low down to his left but despite the numerical disadvantages Bar generally kept West Herts at bay and could have secured a late goal from a short corner but Hugh Kenney-Herbert was unable to find the key pass from the far post.

The first of the final two games comes with an early start at Bury St Edmunds on Saturday.

That is followed by a home game against Bishop's Stortford.