It was a rare midweek game for Hobnob, their first in 5 years and weirdly enough there were more players available that most Sundays! There were four changes to the side that drew with Imaan at the weekend with the Hare brothers, James Tiltman and Rob Walker replacing James Behan, Luke Walker, Tom Robertson and Jim Phillips. The latter suffering for only being able to arrive minutes before kick off after the team had been named. It was all a bit surreral seeing a lot of the players turning up either suited and booted (Phillips, Rimmer, Miles, Davies) or as if they'd spent their day dossing about (Chapman, Pulfer, Hare, Cross) bu there was at least some consistency with James Tiltman still rocking up from work in his shorts and flip flops.
The first half was a really odd affair and a difficult one to talk about in a match report for the simple reason that not much happened. AFC Earley threatened to break through a few times but Hobnob kept a good, solid line and Tiltman in particular did a sterling job to keep their lively winger quiet. The only sights of goal that either side had were two long range efforts from Earley, one that Chapman had to palm over the bar and another that clipped the post after he'd let it drift wide.
The second half was where all the fun and games really began. Straight from kick off Earley were on the attack, setting the pattern for the rest of the game. They flooded the pitch with attackers but were met time and again by a solid wall in the form of Cross, Cheng, Rimmer and Tiltman. On the odd occasion that they did work a way through they either pulled their shots wide or couldn't find a way past Chapman. Even with Phillips coming on for Pulfer to bolster the midfield Hobnob struggled to keep the ball and were entirely reliant on getting the ball wide for counter attacks.
Despite being under so much pressure it was Hobnob who produced the best bit of football in whole game. Tiltman, Davies and Miles linked up quite brilliantly down the left hand side with a series of passes and one twos that took Davies straight through. He squared for Joe Hare who was free in the middle of the area but couldn't quite get his shot away. It was a lovely move that even had the Earley fans applauding.
It was down the left that Hobnob finally made the telling contribution. It was against the run of play it has to be said but for the first time in the game Davies was able to run at his full back and beat him all ends up. He stood the ball up perfectly to tha back post where Rob Walker was able get ahead of the defender to get his second goal of the week.
Earley did not take this well and really upped the pressure on the defence who continued to stay strong. With barely 5 minutes left and with the most unlikely of victories within their grasp it was a moment of misfortune that did for Hobnob. Another speculative shot from Earley came back off the bar and of all the places it could land it was at the feet of the striker who knocked in the rebound. This should have finished the game off but out of nowhere Hobnob woke up and in injury time they could have won the game. Phillip's flick on was picked up by substitute Jason Stephenson who couldn't quite get a clean shot in. Another substitute, Luke Walker got two good crosses in, one fell agonisingly short of Tiltman as he prepared to volley and the other was crying out to be turned in as it flashed across goal.
A winner would probably have flattered Hobnob but it was another hard fought point, albeit in very different circumstances to last Sunday. The whole defence did a fantastic job against some very good players and under a lot of pressure. Chapman nudged the votes for Man of the Match for a couple of important saves but it could quite easily have gone to any of them.
With only three games left to play and a midtable finished secured, now it's time for Hobnob to play with some freedom and finish on a real high
