Hempnall FC

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