Today we visited Hillfield, two weeks after beating them convincingly at home, but fully expecting a different battle today.
As with 2 weeks ago, we were missing Rushy due to his cross-country commitments, but on a positive note we welcomed back Charlie who had been missing for the last few weeks.
Hillfield have a large flat pitch, where they use the blue line system to make it slightly narrower than a full size pitch and they use full sized adult goals… something we haven’t liked in the past.
The game started lively, with battles all over the field and not many chances being created. It had the feeling of being tight and Hillfield looked well-disciplined today. Hampton were having some joy on the wings, with Omar and Fin both creating some chances in the box but either lack of numbers or missed swings meant we couldn’t capitalise. Omar again drove down the left and twisted his way into the box where he was brought down by the Hillfield defender, and sure enough the ref blew his whistle so I shouted to Jack to take the pen. Little did we know, that actually the ref had decided that Omar fouled their player, and gave a free kick the other way… a poor decision, one we’d soon become accustomed to. Then it was Fins turn to drive down the right hand side, where he got just outside the box and was brought down… with Fin getting himself back up the ref played “advantage” but Fin had no advantage whatsoever as he was surrounded by 3 Hillfield players who blocked Fin, we thought the ref then called it back for a free kick but in his wisdom we wasted the “advantage” and he gave them a goal kick instead, cheers ref. Sucker punch soon came, when Hillfield managed to drive into our box and the tackles came too late and a pen was awarded. Harrison got a good hand to it, but in those massive goals he realistically had no chance. 1-0 Hillfield. Hampton got back on the front foot and Jack cut in from the left and whipped a good strike which unbelievably hit the top left inside post and bounced across the goal, where Hillfield scrambled clear. Jack again on the right this time, unleashed a powerful low strike which the keeper parried and the ball there to be tapped home but Omar could only get a toe on it and it trickled agonisingly wide. Pressure then got Hampton back in the game, when Rayyan was brought down in the box and luckily for us the ref had no choice this time, and Jack smashed home the penalty, 1-1. Half time and all to play for.
The second half started much like the first, with Hillfield seemingly getting free kick after free kick and Hampton getting nothing, so we were really up against it. Hillfield managed to use these decisions to their advantage and forced a corner, where it looked like Harrison was being fouled and eventually pushed over, only for the Hillfield player to nod into an empty net. 2-1. That soon became 3-1, when again we should’ve had a free kick on the left hand side, but the ref gave it to Hillfield who then forced another corner and again they managed to get the vital touch to make it 3-1. The forces were against us today you could feel it, and the lads were struggling to keep their composure with energy levels dropping. Hampton are fighters though, we’ve seen plenty of that before and Fin would again create a chance after a through ball from jack, but it was parried by the keeper and again with the goal at his mercy Omar didn’t connect well and the shot went wide. Another chance then which was well worked, and Harry slid in to get the shot off but again, agonisingly wide. You could then see, the belief was going, it wasn’t going to happen today. Hillfield wrapped up the game late on as Hampton pushed forward, they hit us on the counter and the striker went round Harrison and slotted into the empty net. Game, set, match Hillfield.
Plenty of fight still on the pitch, with Sanders and Oscar doing well winning balls and getting us up the pitch, but unfortunately our race was run and the energy we put into the first hour was showing.
In the end, as bitter as I am about the referee decisions, Hillfield stuck to the game plan and hit us where it hurt, in our own box. When they had the opportunity, they punished us, and when we had the opportunities (plenty more than them) we couldn’t dish out the same punishment.
We’ve said it before, this division is very evenly matched, so to compete we have to be on point every single week, and the slightest drop in levels or having some decisions go against us, can drive results like today, so fire in the belly and we go again next week!
Todays MOTM went to Jack, who didn’t deserve to be on the losing side, should’ve had at least 2 goals and had the running of the midfield, but not the rub of the green unfortunately.
UTR ??
