Hobnob’s extended winter break meant that this game away to H&J Reading was their first in a month. The time off enabled Rich Paine to rest his hamstrings and he was fit enough to return to the starting XI and he slotted in ahead of Clifford Davies who was away on international duty. James Tiltman failed a late MTFU test so Dean Walker started at the back with Mike Terry out at left back and Tom Robertson got the nod at right back ahead of Daniel Cross. There was a slightly threadbare feel about the side with a hungover Ed Bargent drafted in to sit on the bench and Jason “call me Robbo today” Stephenson making a welcome, if unofficial, return.
After some initial concerns that the game may have been cancelled when the changing rooms weren’t unlocked until half an hour before kick-off, H&J got the first game of 2012 underway and immediately looked more settled. On a short, stubby pitch, they were looking to exploit the flanks and their strikers worked the channels dangerously. It was from a break down Hobnob’s left that their striker got into the area. He twisted Cheng around and the defender unwisely slid in, missing the ball by a mile. There were no complaints when the referee pointed to the spot and the penalty was duly despatched. The green hoops of H&J continued to dominate and with Hobnob finding it hard to maintain any possession, they kept facing waves of attacks. A good challenge from Terry gave the home side a corner and when it was fired at the far post two players were left unmarked. Chapman made an excellent point blank save but he was powerless to stop the follow up being smashed in. The attacks kept coming and but for poor finishing and some last ditch defending (I think most people are still wondering how Robertson managed to not score an own goal when clearing over the bar from a yard) it probably should have been even more. By the half hour though Hobnob were beginning to find an outlet with the hard working Hare on the right wing. It was from one of his runs that Hobnob got a rare corner and Luke Walker’s drilled cross dropped in the six yard box. After a bit of pinball Paine’s ‘flick’ was bundled over by Bolton for his third of the season. It wasn’t to last until half time though and another break down Hobnob’s left channel resulted in a scooped ball across the box which was empathically headed home to give the side a 3-1 lead at the break.
There were some harsh words spoken at the interval and the message was clear, “we’re still in this but buck your ideas up”. Straight from kick off the message seemed to have hit home with Pulfer toying the defender and getting brought down. Plant curled his free kick wide but the intent was there from the Nobbers. H&J were being pushed back and their attacks down the flanks were become less frequent and well dealt with by Robertson and Terry. The defence still looked vulnerable on the counter attack though at it was from there that the 4th went in. The entire defence was stood rooted to the spot, waiting for a flag that never came as the midfielder ran clean through and coolly slid the ball past Chapman. Hobnob’s answer was to move things around a little and Paine, now playing out on the left was causing all sorts of problems running at the full back. He beat his man and was only stopped in his tracks by a tug on his shirt for the second penalty of the game. The ever dependable Pulfer stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. The game was no being played almost exclusively in the H&J half but chances were few and far between. Paine saw a header theatrically saved but otherwise there wasn’t much happening. Against the run of play it was at the other end that there was he goalmouth action. Chapman did superbly to palm a shot around the post and then did well to close off the angle to prevent the winger from making it five. That relief would be short lived though as, again on the break, substitute Bargent was unable to cut out a through ball and they made it five.
Not for the first time this season Hobnob have somehow lost by several goals to a team that was in no way massively superior. The first half was a mess with H&J winning every 50/50 and every header. The second saw more desire but mistakes at the back and a lack of a cutting edge in the final third ultimately cost the side. Time to move on now, we can blame one result like this on rustiness but there’ll be no such excuses next week
