“They’re good, but can they do it on a chilly Thursday in Redditch?”
In our only midweek fixture of the season, while our lovely Hampton pitch sits freshly cut, we headed to Redditch for our last away game of the season (well, most of us did and then the others joined us eventually ??)
Sight delay to the KO to allow Harrison & Omar to arrive, but unfortunately we had to start without Omar as the ref was concerned about the light.
Hampton found ourselves on the back foot from the start, with a lively Redditch team looking to shoot on sight. Harrison was tested early by a fierce volley from the Redditch danger man, but parried it over the bar. Redditch had another couple of sighters, which clipped the bar, although I reckon our number 1 had them covered. Hampton were panicking a little, and were swinging boots at everything rather than putting a foot on, so the ball just kept coming back. The shoot-on-sight policy would eventually pay off for Redditch, when their danger man caught a sweet half-volley from 20 yards which Harrison could do nothing about. 1-0. Hampton did manage to start winning balls and getting up the pitch, but Redditch were dominating and again the dangerman for them won himself a penalty when he was pulled down.
Unfortunately for Redditch, our number 1 Harrison was more than a match and saved the penalty…! Still 1-0.
That certainly gave us a boost and the boys were starting to play now, while Redditch dipped a bit having missed the pen. Hampton had a few half chances but still couldn’t find a clear path to goal and we came in at half time 1-0 down.
The boys believed, you could see it. A goal for Hampton and Redditch would fold, and it wouldn’t be long until that goal came. Fin, having an excellent game on the right hand side and working his socks off, pumped the ball forward and it managed to evade 3 Redditch players before finding its way to captain Ollie who was still up from the corner… Ollie calmly slotted home to get us back in the game. The game had turned now, you could feel the shift… Fin and Omar were punishing them down the wings, Jack Oscar and Josh P were grafting in the middle and Kielan JP and Ollie were looking solid at the back. Pressure would soon pay off, handball in the box, penalty! Up stepped Jack to power into the right hand corner, 2-1. The boys were buzzing and Redditch were tumbling.
Then came the drama, with Hampton well on top, some good work from Fin again and the ball dropped to Jack who managed to get a shot off… post! But it’s still there, the defender has fell, he’s struggling… ZAK D… it is, he’s scored !!!
Wild.
Now I try to remain as calm as I can in moments of controversy… but the boys ran off celebrating, the ref points to the centre circle, no whistle, come on lads get in there.
Redditch coach runs over to one of their players “injured” in the box… must have been 3 minutes later, ref says no goal. Eh? Seriously? Have you just changed your mind based on the coach’s opinion? No, I gave the free kick at the start, I pointed… you didn’t blow ref, nothing of the sort.
Anyway, heartbreak for Zak D, the game remained 2-1.
5 left and the boys grafted, still attacking, still tackling. Harrison pulled off another great save and Oscar also chipped in with a cracking slide tackle… whistle, full time, 2-1 Hampton!
A superb win by a depleted squad, who worked tirelessly. Every single player, 110% and fully deserved that batting win, to secure 4th spot with one game to go, a tremendous effort.
The back 3 were brilliant today, as well as Josh P who dragged himself off his sick bed to put in a sterling performance, Fin, Omar, Jack & Oscar working their socks off and Zak D who grabbed the goal only for it to be cruelly snatched away.
However, MOTM today goes to the “Emi Martinez” of Solihull… the brick wall, Harrison!
Well done to all the lads, UTR ??
