After last week’s dramatic turnaround all eyes were on Hobnob manager Mike Terry and what his approach to today’s game would be. Faced with the choice of sticking with the familiar or going with the system that demolished Reeves Rangers, there was perhaps no choice to make and for the first time in nearly a year, the side started with a 3-4-3 formation. Interestingly enough, despite the switch the starting line-up remained the same. Clifford Davies and James Tiltman moved into more attacking positions and Tom Robertson was pulled across to join the back three. There was one change on the bench as last week’s two goal super-sub Rich Paine was in Sheffield so Joe Hare was in reserve for what would be his second debut after his first was missed by so many of the team. They would be up against a Chalfont Park side who started the day in 3rd place and whom Hobnob were a Dan Hare penalty away from grabbing a point against last time out.
The first half performance against Reeves Rangers must have still been in the minds of a lot of the players because they couldn’t have started more differently. Credit must go to Dan Hare for his warm up as they began with an intensity that is rarely shown by the side early on. In midfield Bolton and Plant were winning every 50/50 and the extra man in attack was starting to reap dividends. Chalfont struggled to really get to grips with the 3 men at the back and their strikers were increasingly cramped for space. The closest they managed to get was a through ball that Chapman did well to well to parry wide. Hobnob got a deserved opener shortly afterwards when Plant nodded in at the near post from Davies’ inswinging corner. That goal sprung the side up a gear. It should really have been 2-0 when Pulfer’s deep cross was fumbled by the goalkeeper. Tiltman found himself in the alien position of being in the opposition box (rumours of a Robertson-esque nosebleed have yet to be confirmed) and with the ball at his feet he was momentarily torn between teeing up Davies or turning and shooting. The delay gave the defence just long enough to get back and clear away. Hobnob still had to be alert and Chapman was at full stretch when he managed to palm the ball into the air from close range, catching it as it fell. They also perhaps rode their luck a little when Dan Hare’s handball in the penalty area went unnoticed but the half still belonged to the home side. Davies saw a freekick fly just over the bar and Walker had a very strong appeal for a penalty turned down just before the break. At half time there were slaps on the back for a good half but Chalfont were no mugs and the second half was always going to be tough.
The second 45 started with Chalfont having made a few switches. A quicker left winger was put on and he was clearly under instructions to either pin Walker back or to get in and attack Robertson. This seemed to be their main source of attack at the start and it’s to both players’ credit that the winger was subbed with 20 minutes still to go. It was perhaps inevitable though that Hobnob begin to get deeper and deeper as they subconsciously began to batten down the hatches. Chalfont began to exploit the extra space but that didn’t mean that Hobnob were giving away any ground willingly. The centre of the pitch began to become very competitive with Plant, Bolton and Joe Hare all getting stuck in. Tiltman was involved in one of these tussles and went in a little late on the Chalfont forward. The resulting freekick was hit superbly and whistled into the back of the net. It was a great strike and one that would have gone in even with four goalkeepers on the line. Hobnob were become entrenched in their own half as they sought to protect the lead but defensively they were looking very solid. Chalfont were resorting to longs pot shots and some very speculative appeals for freekicks and penalties but in the end though it was Hobnob who could have won the game. Pulfer did well to pull the ball back to Dan Hare from the byline and the man who suffered the agony of missing a penalty in the reverse fixture saw his sidefooted effort hit straight at the goalkeeper from close range.
When the ref blew the final whistle both sides would have come away thinking that a point was a fair reflection. Chalfont may have edged it in terms of possession but Hobnob had more clear cut chances. It was one of those games that so rarely happen in Sunday league but are all the more enjoyable for it. Both teams really gave it everything and despite some very physical challenges from both sides, it never really threatened to get out of hand.
A hard earned point for Hobnob then and whilst they perhaps understandably began to flag toward the end of the game, Mike Terry can’t fail to be pleased at the commitment shown by his side and in quieter moments might even permit himself a little smile for a tactical gamble that paid off.
