After last week’s humbling demolition at the hands of Purley Jubilee, changes were inevitable and so it would prove to be. Ed Bargent, Dave Miles and Clifford Davies weren’t available from that game while Tom Robertson and Rob Walker dropped down to the bench. In came Will Rimmer, Tom Parkinson, Thomas L’Heureux, Dan Hare and the manager Ian Pulfer, for his first start of the season in a new look look 3-4-3 formation.
If Hobnob were suffering any kind of after effects from their last game, it wasn’t obvious and Imaan were stunned into silence as the away team shot into the lead with barely a minute played. With their first attack Pulfer teed up Parkinson who hit his shot right into the top corner for his first goal for the club. The side couldn’t have wished for a better start and memories of the Berks and Bucks Cup were distant. So it continued for the first 15-20 minutes as Hobnob continued to dominate but they just missed a bit of cutting edge in the final third. Hare was unlucky to see one shot go wide but he was more frustrated when through one on one he tried to square it to Pulfer to tap in and only succeeded in playing the ball straight to the keeper. Imaan meanwhile were struggling to provide much of a threat with Chapman a virtual spectator in his goal. As the half progressed Imaan gained a bit more control but their persistent offsides meant they were unable to break through.
The second half continued along much the same path as the first had ended, with neither team really able to keep possession. The turning point came with a bang. A bang to Cheng’s face to be precise. Last week’s man of the match was forced off with a cut to his nose after a collision and while the influential defender was off the pitch, Imaan were able to grab their equaliser. Hobnob rang the changes and they made a difference but then followed the real controversy in the game. L’Heureux played a lovely through ball for Parkinson who timed his run to perfection. He dinked the ball over the goalkeeper and Dan Robertson was on hand to smash it into the back of the net as it came back off the post. But wait, the young referee seemed reluctant to give the goal, trotting over to the Imaan linesman who had noticeably kept his flag down. Given this opportunity to rule the goal out though, he took it and much to everyone’s (including the Imaan players) surprise, the referee disallowed the goal. Hobnob were understandably riled and Imaan could, and probably should, have taken advantage as their forward latched onto a cross field ball and somehow manage to fire over from close range. With minutes left on the clock there was still time for more controversy. Dan Robertson got the ball in the box and as he turned to shoot he was clattered from behind. The ball ran just wide and to everyone’s amazement the referee pointed for a goal kick. Both sides were dumbfounded. Never was a clearer case of penalty or corner kick seen, but some how Hobnob had ended up on the wrong end of a strange decision again.
After their exit from the cup I suspect many players would have taken a point before the game but it was one that ended up feeling like a defeat. There’s no doubting it was an improved performance but it was against a side who were nowhere near the quality that was faced last week.
