News reached Hobnob midweek that sadly Dean Walker will be missing for the rest of the season as a result of the back injury that forced him off at half time last week. With the side looking much more potent in the second half against Burghfield, Mike Terry opted to start with the side that began that half. Rich Paine was back after his trip away so with him and Dan Robertson both on the bench there were attacking options galore. The pitch at Palmer Park had more than a few puddles and with the rain pelting down it took plenty of mopping and sweeping in the penalty areas to get it in a fit state. The game kicked off on time though and with Hobnob sporting the same yellow shirts as last week (complete with the same mud) they took on bottom of the table Reeves Rangers.
As was the case last week, Hobnob start very slowly and very poorly. Reeves’ game centred around getting the ball long and in behind the defenders and whilst they were only rarely threatening, the home side could not get any control on the match at all. It didn’t come as a great surprise then when Reeves took the lead midway through the first half. Disappointingly it came from a Hobnob corner which was cleared away. They broke on Tiltman and Cheng and when the former overcommitted they were able to stab the ball through and score the opener. Hobnob had somehow managed to get themselves into a position where they didn’t look in danger of conceding but couldn’t string two passes together either. The conditions were certainly working against them but even their long balls were being over hit and the Reeves goalkeeper was rarely troubled. Hobnob’s chances were almost exclusively limited to a few corners, one sharp shot from Plant aside and with so little going forward it was probably inevitable that they’d fall 2-0 down. Tiltman knocked the ball out for a corner and the home side were incredibly slow in reacting. Reeves however were switched on and swung the ball into the six yard box and their player was allowed a free header to nod it past Chapman.
At half time there were some stern words said but that didn’t prevent Reeves getting their third. Unforgivably it was again from an attacking corner. Once again it was headed clear and they broke in numbers. This time nobody went to attack the ball and the player was able to break, pretty much from half way, unchallenged and chipped into the top corner of the net. Hobnob were all over the place and Mike Terry decided that big changes were needed. Paine and Dan Robertson were both called off the bench to replace Tiltman and Bolton and the formation was shifted to a 3-4-3. With four forwards on the pitch they couldn’t help but be more attacking and that’s exactly what happened. The change produced an immediate reaction with more energy and suddenly more space. It was important that Hobnob got straight back into the game and Plant made sure that they did just that. Hare got poleaxed on the corner of the box and the free kick was despatched into the back of the net. Finally they were back up and running and the second wasn’t far behind. Davies created some space on the left flank and his cross found Pulfer who had enough time to take a touch and get his shot away. It wasn’t his greatest effort and almost got held up in the puddle in the goalmouth but there was just enough on it to see it over the line. Hobnob were totally dominant and Reeves looked shell shocked. Plant was absolutely running the show in the middle of the park and despite the mud the ball was being pinged about quite brilliantly. This being Hobnob though, it couldn’t go that smoothly. Somehow the ball crept its way through to the Reeves striker and he showed great composure to make it 4-2.
There have been points this season that the 4th goal would have ended things for the side. However, whether it was the foul weather or the new energy in the team, Hobnob wouldn’t lie down. Paine’s movement was causing all sorts of problems and with the extra numbers going forward they were looking very threatening. Dan Robertson came so close to pulling another back when his shot was well blocked on the line but this wasn’t a day where the team would be ruing those chances. Plant’s through ball was perfectly weighted for his fellow Grimbarian and Paine coolly converted his first goal since late October. There was still work to do but the tide had turned completely. With barely any time to catch breath Pulfer had again worked some space and his shot produced his 20th goal of the season, Dan Robertson tried to smash it in but it was already over the line. The remarkable comeback was completed when Plant smashed home after Pulfer’s run to make it an improbable 5-4. Barely 25 minutes had passed since the changes were made but the turnaround was stark. There was even time for Paine to get his second after again sidefooting in after Dan Robertson’s lay off. In fact, there could have been even more goals had the goalkeeper not saved well from Paine and Pulfer and Tom Robertson had been more alert when put through. Still, 6-4 was good reward for a game that really was played in atrocious conditions.
If this side can learn to play for 90 minutes how they do in the last half an hour of games then they will be a really good one. The tactic of gifting a team a 2-0 lead early on is a controversial one that may have worked today but can’t be recommended as a long term me. Certainly though the team looks more comfortable on the front foot and there can be argument made that if they can go into games with the same attacking mentality as today’s second half then surely more wins will follow. With so little left of the season then let’s hope that’s exactly what they do.
