Hempnall FC

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With Clarkey unavailable, guest reporter, former Club Chairman, Steve Griffiths, stood in. Here is his excellent report:

On a nice bright afternoon, Hempnall started with similar brightness. For twenty minutes, the penetrating runs of Rob Browne, Sam Page and Paul Franklin were creating plenty of potential openings.

Although there were only a few scoring opportunities, it looked likely that Hempnall would make the biggest impression on the game. Mattishall struggled to cope in midfield and after 25 minutes Sam Page once again ran the ball into the Mattishall area. This time he was pulled back by a defender and a penalty was given. Rob Browne calmly placed it into the bottom right as the Mattishall goalie disappeared in the opposite direction.

The scene was set for Hempnall to take control. More good work from Sam Page, whose confidence on the ball is getting noticeably greater, gave Rob Browne the chance to volley across goal powerfully but wide. Browne’s next meaningful contribution was to fall over while running out of defence and effectively end his part in the game by injuring his ankle.

In the meantime Mattishall were holding onto the midfield more effectively and a fairly simple free kick from the half-way line was flicked into the Hempnall area. Mattishall’s Jason Cole, easily their biggest threat up front, had time and space to watch the ball arriving, pick a spot and volley it straight in, greatly helped by the absence of any Hempnall central defenders. Mattishall were invigorated. Browne went off.

The second half started scrappily but Carl Harwin and Ben Nichols worked hard and effectively at the back and the speedy Kelvin Willimott, on for Browne, added to the threat of Page and Franklin up front. Hempnall’s best chance of the game came after 55 minutes when Page ran free on the right, saw, and passed to, an unmarked Willimott on the left of the area who then fired it over the top with Mattishall’s defence missing.

The Mattishall midfield was getting more effective and balls were returning to the Hempnall half regularly as the Hempnall midfield lost contact with each other and the front runners. Seven minutes from time a Mattishall free kick on the left was passing waist high across the six yard box, apparently heading wide.

The alert Jason Cole again reacted the quickest and stooped to glance the ball with his head inside the far post as the defenders all left it.

By then Mattishall deserved some reward for their tirelessness and as the match moved to the end, the Hempnall chances had already come and gone. 2-1 to Mattishall.