Hempnall FC

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Our first home game for several weeks saw us having to make some enforced changes with Carl Harwin (work), Tom Halliwell (injured), Paul Hunter (ill) & Adam Willis (Holiday) all unavailable. The gaps were filled by Stu Chrystal, Tim Downs & Andy Clitheroe on the pitch, with Potter, Jones & Mark Garrod on the subs bench.

We started brightly with Shearer & Flint having good opportunities to score but just failing to convert. With a the pitch hard & the weather hot, we had decided to go long bypassing our midfield, to get the 3 strikers more involved in the game & use the fitness of the hard working midfield to pick up the 2nd ball.

For ten or so minutes this tactic saw us on top but Beccles started to come into the game creating some good chances of their own.

But a mixture of a missing quality finish & good defending saw a goalless halftime score.

It was again a request for more of the same as we felt we were edging proceedings & patience would see us home.

However, the longer the game went on a fairly even 2^nd half saw both sides continue to squander the chances that had to be worked very hard for, what with both defences looking solid.

It had nil nil written all over it but that is not to say the effort wasn’t there. I felt both sides physical efforts were high, on a difficult energy sapping day.

Kristian Jones replaced the tiring Flint but no goals could be found from either side.

So a draw about fair, we probably had more of the play & chances but I felt the Beccles chances were clearer cut.

The man of the match award just went to Neil (Giggsy) Renaut for a typical hard working performance but all starting 11 players received votes.

Our next 2 fixtures see us travel to St Johns on Wednesday (6.30 ko) & then at home to Acle (11.00 ko) on Easter Monday. No 1^st team game on the Sat but the reserves are at home to Wortwell (2.30 ko)