Hempnall FC

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The wheels had hardly touched the runway as I returned from a fantastic holiday & it was on to a tough game with Mattishall, always close games & this proved to be no different.

I mentioned many times on the sideline that I felt this game had 1-0 written all over it & with us shading proceedings, I hoped it would be us who obtained the 3 points.

Chances in the game were few but some came in the 1^st half, 2 each for Jamie Pretty & Sam Page. Beeto in goal did not actually have a shot to save, just sweeping behind the back four as Mattishall’s long balls flew over the defenders heads & picking out crosses.

The 2^nd half became more dogged & some crunching tackles left one or 2 limping about the pitch, Ali Evans had to leave the game with badly bruised ribs & the worst affected, Paul Hunter who will be out for a week or so, could hardly walk leaving the ground.

This is no criticism of Mattishall, the game was a physical one, our .beef’ was more the manner of how the deadlock was broken.With 5 minutes to go an innocuous free kick was given for ‘leaning’, which seemed bizarre & harsh given that 'stud leading' tackles that had gone unpunished before.

Up stepped player manager ‘Gaven Tipple‘ to crash home an unstoppable arrow in to Beetenson’s top right hand corner.

We didn’t give up & still had time to create one last chance as Franklin powered through but a combination of the outstretched hand of Pledger & the post denied us a share of the spoils.

The Performance was decent all round & I couldn’t have asked any more in terms of effort from any of the players on display, but we didn’t get any reward on the day. Tim Downs won man of the match for us with a ‘mature’ display of defensive skill. JP & Vaughan Stevenson again had good games.

So it Zero points out of 9, so as usual with anything ‘wounded’ the vultures begin to circle looking for players, the soothsayers begin to pronounce its all ‘doom & gloom’, the arm chair boys have all the answers (yes all clubs have them) & people search for reasons as to why the poor start, generally everything else but themselves.

I have my own thoughts which I will keep between the players, the management team & myself. The one sure thing I know through experience is that there is only one way to improve. That’s camaraderie (all for one & one for all) & hard graft.

Over the next few games we will see those who have the stomach for it & those that find it easier to walk away.

So on the subject of hard work I am pleased to say that Ali Shearer has joined the club full time. Ali typifies the graft needed & is also a proven goal scorer to boot. Also expect a further new signing soon.

There seems to be a naive perception we are ‘collectors ‘of players but when you see the numbers we have (or more to the point ‘have not’) been able to put out on the pitch, they are all needed.

Last week for example Marty Addison, Greg & Lee Devlin, Rob Browne, Tom Halliwell, Neil Renaut, Neil Forsdick, Ben Cudden, Kelvin Willimott, Stu Chrystal & Iain Mills were all out for one reason or another, not to mention half of the Reserve boys. It is not much better this week!

But this week the wounded animal will be showing its teeth, bring it on!!