Hempnall FC

Comment on this article

Firstly let me start of by praising the reserves who secured an efficient and comfortable 4 - 0 victory over their counterparts from Beccles. Obviously as First Team manager, it is difficult to get the opportunity to watch the reserves but I felt that at this stage of the season the performance was exactly what was required.

A no nonsense and focussed approach putting away a mid table side by half time with three first half goals and no reply.

Pots even had time to take a day off and go ‘Stagging’ up north, well done to the committed boys who remained, only kidding Ross!

What with the A team also securing a hard earned point against one of the top sides, it was a good day all round.

For our part having watched Sprowston secure a very good point at North Walsham on the Tuesday night with  us only narrowly beating them 3 weeks earlier at their place, we knew it was going to be tough.

Ben Cudden and Carl Harwin were both working, so in Came Neil Forsdick and Jamie Pretty plus it was good to see Tom Halliwell returning from a 2 month injury take a place on the bench.

Despite the toughness of the game being outlined we didn’t start well. Sprowston dominated proceedings early on playing some neat one touch football although without some key players Maxwell –Stewart, Dave Matthews to name but 2.

Their dominance was rewarded when a free kick was conceded in a dangerous position on the edge of the box. Jason Armes stepped up and curled his free kick into the bottom corner giving stand in keeper Neil Forsdick little chance.

This did wake us up somewhat and we began to threaten up top, Browney double salvo took us into a lead that was hardly merited. First he smashed a ball in on the far post with a terrific half volley before ‘dinking & jinking’ past 2 defenders to secure space to tuck past Coulton.

I can’t remember the sequence of events but Sprowston continued to threaten at the other end hitting the post, the bar and having a goal disallowed for pushing, which another day may have stood.

We then scored our third, when Mills for the second week running was first to react to a ball coming back off the keeper.

So we entered half time very fortunate to be in a match winning situation.

The halftime message mainly contained a message of better ball retention, simplifying our game and trying to take the sting out of the visitor’s tail!

This I felt we did well, with the second half degenerating into a ‘battle’ for supremacy and goal chances were drastically reduced at both ends.

The game became niggly, with probably too much being said by both sides making it difficult for the referee to control but for his part I felt he did reasonably well given the circumstances.

I wouldn’t actually say this was our plan but the fact chances were reduced suited our desire to obtain 3 points.

We got no where near the standard of football play achieved at Wroxham the week before but the victory was equally satisfying in that we adapted our style for the task at hand.

Browney secured the man of the match award pushed on by his 2 goals but there were again some tidy performances from several players.

We now enter the congested fixture period playing 2 games a week for the next 5 weeks and it will be interesting to see how we cope.

The depth of the squad will be severely tested what with the First and Reserve sides in good positions in their respective leagues, and the A team now fighting hard to retain their status. Some good points of late for Matt and his boys have seen them get to within striking distance of the teams above.

Its going to be an interesting and hopefully enjoyable end to an unusual season.