Hempnall FC

Comment on this article

Despite their problems Brandon always prove to be difficult opposition particularly on their own patch.

With vice captain Tim Downs scheduled to work, the task was made harder when skipper Ben player was forced to call off with sickness issues at home on Saturday morning.

So the arm band was given to Millsy, with Shaun Flint & Stu Chrystal filling the gaps.

The mercurial Flint wasted no time in making the most of his opportunity when he glanced home a header via a defender, on the far post with only 4 minutes on the clock.

On 18 minutes he then scored a 2^nd after good work & shot from Ali Shearer saw the keeper make a good safe, only for Flinto to pounce on the rebound to slide home.

On 25 minutes he looked to have scored his hatrick when a good turn & shot from 20 yards out looked to be goal bound, but it just swung wide.

Ali himself then got in on the scoring when he slid home a great cross from Paul Hunter that found him free on the far post.

At this point it was pretty much one way traffic but we couldn’t add any further goals.

At half time the request was all about keeping it simple, continuing to work hard & discipline to the shape. Easily said but we the management team knew it was harder to do.

So it proved with players trying to do too much, not taking the easy option & frustration grew in our play.

For their part Brandon did up the game & it was a much more even contest.

Stu Chrystal who had been suffering all game with various ailments left the field & over the next 10 minutes all 3 substitutes were introduced.

With the game coming to a close it looked like the score would end up at 3 – 0 with no further note worthy incidents. How wrong you can be!!

Within a 5 minute spell Brandon pulled a goal back through Fran Ruiz, Ali Shearer restored our 3 goal advantage when he added his 2^nd of the day. Then Lee Nocton received his marching orders for a brutal forearm smash on Iain Mills, a piece of action more at home in a wrestling ring than on a football pitch.

Typical of Millsy he brushed it off and just carried on with his game.

So a 4-1 win against a side scrapping against relegation was a good days work, the only disappointing part our 2^nd half performance that saw us step down a level & cost us a proud ‘no goals conceded’ record going back some 3 & half games.

Shaun Flint received the man of the match award for his hard working (Red Bull assisted, at least 4 cans!!) performance.

With no game next week our next fixture is April 9^th when we visit champions elect Cromer Town & say hello to our old mate Sammy Wenham.