After the late cancellation of last week’s game Hobnob were raring to go against FC Woodley at Woodford Park. Both teams went in level on points and interestingly in blue shirts as well! Woodley’s sky blue just about different enough although some of Hobnob’s more geriatric players were heard complaining about not being able to tell people apart.
The starting XI had no fewer than four changes to the side that had won a gritty game a fortnight ago. Normal service was resumed in goal with Captain Chapman returning but it was a new look back four in front of him. James Tiltman’s absence opened the door for Joe Hare to come in with new father Mike Terry shifting to left back. Up front Dan Robertson is now a long term absentee and Rich Paine’s late withdrawal meant that the Walker brothers had their chance from the start.
A sticky pitch didn’t really help Hobnob’s game and it took them a while to settle. Woodley had the best of the initial exchanges with them looking to dominate the middle of the pitch and break through the channels. Hare and Cheng were more than alert to the danger though and the ball wasn’t making too much progress. The pressure being applied by the home team was stopping Hobnob keeping possession and inevitably the chances began to fall. By and large the efforts at goal were coming from distance and Chapman showed good hands to gather all of them without too much trouble. It took a while but Hobnob were beginning to find their feet as Bolton and Plant imposed themselves more on the midfield. Spaces were opening up on the flanks and Davies in particular was getting a lot of joy on the left. However, it was down the right that good link up between Pulfer and Luke Walker brought about a corner. As the ball dropped toward the edge the latter did well to get an effort off at goal and was unlucky to see it role just wide. It would prove to be the best chance of the half for the away side but by no means their only one. Rob Walker almost got onto a through ball that bounced over the keeper’s head only to be outmuscled at the last moment and Pulfer would have been hoping for more from a free kick hit straight into the wall.
It was a tight first half but the longer it went on, the more the away side grew into it and at half time Papa Terry’s message was a simple one: keep putting it in. The response couldn’t have been better. Direct from kick off Terry put a good ball in for Davies whose strength and pace was far too much for the full back. He crossed the ball for Pulfer who, unable to get a shot away lay it off for Rob Walker who blasted in his first goal for the club. His obvious joy was short lived though as his mood swiftly turned to embarrassment as Matt Bolton celebrated by yanking down the goalscorer’s shorts! The timing of the goal though shifted the mentality and whereas before Woodley had been content to bide their time a little they became a lot more direct and began to put the back four under increasing pressure. Terry and Hare were working hard in partnership on the left of defence and between them were ensuring that nothing was coming through regardless of the numbers being thrown at them. Admittedly there were some nefarious means used; only Joe Hare will know how deliberate his handball was to cut out a pass in behind him. The reward for the hard work in defence eventually came. Popping up on the right wing Davies toyed with the full back and drove into the box. His cross was met by Rob Walker whose scuffed effort fell for Plant who slotted into the corner (with the help of a touch from the defender) for his sixth of the season. The goal seemed to knock Woodley back and although the kept on plugging away, they weren’t able to really create anything with Chapman having very little to do. In the end it was Hobnob who could have put the gloss on the result when Pulfer did really well to turn his man but his shot was well saved.
At the full time whistle there were a lot of tired legs but they were the after effects of a really hard fought win. In seasons past Hobnob would have wilted under the initial physicality of the opposition but not today. Indeed for the second game on the spin they’ve more than held their own against a good side to shut them out. The man of the match vote was great because there was so much choice with several candidates. Rob Walker’s match winning contribution edged it but special mention needs to go to Warren Cheng who was simply immense, not for the first time this season. The games can’t come soon enough at the moment for a side who are rightly brimming with confidence.
