Hempnall FC

Firstly I would like to apologise for the lack of reports from the A team so far this season, finding the time to do them is rather tricky, but from now on I will try and make regular contributions to keep you all informed of our progress.

As some of you may well know by now, being the third team at the club this season was iteself going to be tricky with the amount of players leaving the club during the summer. Many of last season's A team that took us to the cup final in May have now moved up to the Reserves and from all accounts have been holding their own against tougher opponents. But with some hard work behind the scenes from many people we have managed to find new faces and in some cases old ones too. Some of which are turning out to be little gems!

Pre season was a little different this year with the A team and Reserves mixing sides to give Oli and Dave a good look at many people to help them in making up the Reserve side for the new campaign.

Our first league match for the new look side we hosted a strong Taverham side at our new home ground up at Talbot Park. With debuts given to new signings Hadliegh Drake, Tom Leeder, Gary Betts, Sonny Beckett, Doug Webber, Craig Hoskins and Olly Bradley we knew that we would have to gel pretty quickly. But after 10 minutes we found ourselves 2-0 down. For the rest of the half though we battled harder and managed to hold the visitors for the rest of the half. At the break we felt we were still in the game and told ourselves that we needed to get the next goal to stand a chance of getting something from the game. All the optimism was short lived though, as straight from the restart Taverham ran up the pitch and made it 3-0!!! Throughout the rest of the game Taverham managed to score at regular intervals and found themselves 8 goals ahead without reply until the last few minutes, when a mistake from their keeper from a goal kick the ball found the feet of Doug Webber, who dribbled unchallenged into the box and lifted the ball over the keeper to give us a consolation goal, to make the final score 8-1.

The following week we travelled to Hockering Reserves looking to put in a better performance. Returning to the side were 2 of last seasons players Matt Chapman and Stepehen Kemp and also a first start for Declam Cummingham. As the same as the previous week we found ourselves 2-0 down early on and all the signs were pointing to a heavy defeat again, but a wonder strike from outside the box from Olly Bradley midway through the half brought us back into the game. For the rest of the half we managed to carve open the Hockering defence on numerous occasions and really should of converted one of the chances, but didn't find that equaliser. Again the halftime talk was to push for that next goal to make it level. The second half started as much as the first ended with us attacking the hosts goal and the breakthrough came from some strong running from Kemp who held off 2 defenders and fired the ball high into the net to bring the score to 2-2. Hockering then started to play some football and we found ourselves under more pressure at the back, and after a succession of corners they managed to edge in front when a player was left unmarked to nod the ball in. Minutes later Hockering went further ahead when they poked the ball in during a goalmouth scramble. We still felt we could something from the game and 10 mins from time we pulled a goal back after some good work from Tom Leeder and Kemp the ball fell to Arthur Sauverin who slid it home to make an exciting finish to the game, but would couldn't find the equaliser and we lost 4-3. This was a much better performance and went to show that the lads were getting to understand each other and that we had some fight in us that was missing from the week before.

Next game we were back at Talbot Park to face our previous weeks opponents Hockering Reserves. 3 new faces joined the squad in the shape of Matthew Howard, Ash Walker and Hempnall stalwart Franny Page. Feeling we could get a result after last weeks close game we started playing some neat football and found ourselves creating chances early, some of which went very close. At the same time though Hockering could of gone ahead only for some great defending from Jordie Batterham and fine goalkeeping from Ryan Moss. They did finally get the breakthrough near the end of the half when a player was left unmarked from a free-kick who headed the ball into the net. The second half was end to end stuff with both teams going close, but it was Hockering who doubled their lead with 15mins to go. With some tired legs out there the changes were made with a double substitution and within minutes it looked to of payed off with Olly Bradley once again popping up and firing the ball into the net to make it 2-1. Alas as much as we tried we couldn't find another goal to take a point.

Our fourth match was again up Talbot Park against a very handy Drayton side who narrowly missed out on promotion last year. With players missing this week we knew it was going to be tough, Ryan Moss had left to go to Uni so it was up to me to take the gloves. We did ride our luck in the first half as Drayton looked the more likely to score but somehow they couldnt find the net and the score remained 0-0 at halftime. At the start of the second half we began to play and put Drrayton keeper under pressure and could of quite easily went ahead through efforts from Chapman and Kemp. On the hour mark though the visitors went ahead from a lucky deflection from a shot that was going well wide. With the score at 1-0 we felt we were still in the game and pushed for the leveller. But from a counter attack Drayton scored again and this time it was the crucial goal, as after that we didn't have anything left in the tank. Drayton added 2 more goals in the dying minutes to give them a rather flattering 4-0 winning scoreline as this wasn't the true reflection of the match.

This weekend we are away to CNSOB Reserves who currently sit just below us in the league on goal difference, so this is a good chance for us to grab our first points and hopefully kick start our season.

After letting the lead slip 3 times last week, the A team were looking to improve on that by beating Horsford B at home to record the first win of the season.

Missing from the previous week's squad was Nick Talbot (Stag Do), and 2 of the young lads, Arthur Sauverin and Mark Goddard, making their debuts for the Reserves.

This meant a return back to the squad for Aaron Haynes, Jordan Batterham and Jamie Kerry.  With Talbot away, this resulted in a new centre back partnership, that of Matt Oakley and Michael Manser to keep the Horsford attack at bay.

With a no show from a referee, Jordan Batterham's father was a saint and agreed to take charge of the game for us, something which the team were very grateful for as it is a job that many people would not stand up and do.

The game started off with both sides trying to take the early advantage. But it was Horsford who had the chances and come close on a couple of occasions by hitting the woodwork and also Michael Ayton in goal pulled off a fine save to keep the visitors out.

With the wind and the slope in Hempnall's favour, we started to create some chances ourselves with some long balls being played over the visiting back four, which Kev Oakley and Aaron Haynes made the most of and tested the Horsford keeper.

Kev Oakley then got the breakthrough from one of these long balls after getting the better of his marker, and beating the keeper to the ball, he slotted home into and empty net.

Horsford then pushed for an equaliser and nearly got it if it wasn't for a fantastic block from Manser on the line to send the ball spinning out for a corner.

This was one of the last plays of the half and for a second week running the young A team side found themselves leading at the break.

The halftime talk was pretty straight forward as we knew what tactics Horsford would use in the second half, pretty much the same as we used with the wind in the first and as they had 2 big men upfront we would have to keep a high line.

Hempnall looked to have sorted out the front men and the long ball tactics for about 20 minutes until a long ball was allowed to bounce a couple of times and found the head of one of the strikers to flick the ball over the onrushing Ayton to level the score.

If this had happened last season the lads heads would of dropped and the game would have run away from us, but we still pushed to reclaim the lead.

Alex Chapman, who is improving every week, was causing a lot of problems for the visitors down the left and one of his runs created a chance for Jordan Batterham who had an open goal from about 7 yards out only to be denied by a very strong but fair last ditch tackle from a Horsford defender.

Horsford then looked more likely to score with the conditions in their favour, but also used tactics only found on the continent by seemingly falling over on every attack with no defender making any sort of challenge.

This was particularly used by one of their forwards who seemed to lose his sense of balance every time he received the ball, meaning we had to duck and take cover as the toys were well and truly being thrown from the pram.

This didn't last much more as a 50/50 fair but hard challenge from Dave Storey left said striker on the floor and he limped off.

With around 10 minutes left, the killer blow arrived, as a Horsford player was allowed to turn on the edge of the box and fired a shot past Ayton to give the away side a slender lead.

Hempnall then looked to find the equaliser but in vain as the final whistle blew and we recorded our first defeat of the season.

Next week should see some more of the regular players returning as we try and get the first win against Reepham A again at home.

 

At last!! The A team finally got their league season underway. Having been playing pre season friendies since the end of July, the new look team have had plenty of time to get to know each other. Also it has been great to see a good majority of the squad turning up to the great training sessions put on by Marty.

New additions to the squad this season include a good batch of the under 16s side from last year, Harry Bridges, Jordan Batterham, Alex Chapman, Mark Goddard, Arthur Sauverin and George McRae. But the big double signing of Hempnall 'old boys' David Storey and Aaron Haynes from local rivals Stratton, and with top goal keeper Michael Ayton putting pen to paper, has given us probably the strongest squad I have known the A team to have in many of years.

The warm up games brought mixed results, a 0-0 drew against Long Stratton Res, a 3-2 win against Bungay A and a 4-2 win against Mousehold Res got the team spirt up and some were feeling we were invincable. But that was short lived with a 5-0 defeat to a very good Thurton and Ashby side and a 7-1 loss to Mousehold First team in which we played with pretty much the all new youngsters as a few of the side were called up for Reserves duties.

The final pre season game was against a decent Harleston Res side who ran out 1-0 winners after scoring in the last few minutes.

 

Now on with the game........With a few players still away on holiday and call ups to the reserves, a full squad of 14 was still brought together to play against a Hockering side who had just failed to win promotion last season.

The game started quite evenly with both sides pushing for that first goal, and it finally came to Hempnall from the most unlikely of people after about 20 minutes. A free kick was won about 7 yards outside the box and Chris Easton floated the ball just past the back post where Kev Oakley managed to keep it in with his head and forced a half save from the visiting keeper, the ball then dropped kindly to yours truly and with an open goal almost made a right hash of getting the ball over the line, but it finally did go in with the use of my butt, much to the joy of the big crowd watching.

Hockering then drew level 10 minutes later after Kev Oakley was dispossessed just inside our own half and the speedy winger broke clear and fired the ball past Ayton into the top corner.

Kev Oakley the made amends shortly after that from another free kick which he blasted into the bottom corner from 25 yards out to make the score at half time 2-1 to Hempnall.

 

After the break Hockering pushed again for the equiliser and thier efforts were rewarded when from a goalmouth scramble they got the goal to level the tie. Alex Chapman and Arthur Sauverin looked dangerous on the wings and helped create quite a few chances and from one of these attacks Hempnall then edged ahead once again when top scorer from last season Kev Oakley picked up the ball down the left off Chapman, cut inside and managed to loft the ball over the onrushing keeper to give him his second of the game and put us 3-2 up with 15 minutes remaining.

But once again the visitors levelled with only 5 minutes left on the clock, again from a slip up at the back. Still we felt there was enough time for a winner and it did look like we stole all 3 points when Kev Oakley had the ball in the net only for the lino to wave the flag to say the ball had crossed the line for a goal kick about 30 seconds previously. Final score was 3-3.

 

A good team peformance all around and the youngsters are starting to find their feet in mens football. They will surely improve further as the season goes on and a very exciting season lays in store for the A team.

Also the team would like to thank the 2 Daves (Arnold and Pointer) for coming along to help and give the team their wise words of wisdom. 

 

Matt Oakley

Shoe Trades Cup 1st Round

 

Hempnall A v Horsford A