Hempnall FC

Hempnall met Marshland Saints in the QF of the Norfolk Junior Cup. Marshland had already thrashed Hockering and Weeting, so we knew a tough fixture was on the cards, but with a strong squad, missing only the hardworking Womack, confidence was high.

After last week’s postponement due to a frozen pitch, and illness in the team, Hempnall hadn’t played for several weeks so were bound to be rusty.

The match started with Marshland in the ascendency, and Hempnall looked somewhat bemused, with the defence under great threat from quick breakaways - and the inevitable happened, a quick breakaway saw Marshland score an excellent opener from an acute angle.

For the next few minutes, Marshland looked to be favourites to score the next goal too, but Hempnall started playing their way onto the game, with Herbert and Cattermole taking the game by the scruff of the neck, and Jake Gent looking very threatening, playing some splendid through balls. 

It was only a matter of time, we did start to wonder if it wasn’t going to be our day when both Gent and Cattermole thundered shots against the bar but the ball evading the goal on both occasions.

Billy Kelly’s runs along the left wing were causing issues, so we were looking more confident and playing some very good one touch football at time. 

One foray saw Kelly take a throw in, Gent turned well in the box, and found Watts who blasted it just underneath the keeper for 1-1.

Hempnall were now putting the pressure on constantly, and a further chance was missed before another Kelly throw in onto saw Etherington head the ball to Cattermole who’s excellent shot nestled into the top corner of the goal for 2-1. 

The rest of the half was largely Hempnall’s, but another excellent breakaway saw the defence outpaced,  to slide the ball under the Hempnall keeper for 2-2. 

Hempnall were denied, arguably, a penalty, the referee deciding the foul was just outside the penalty box – with no VAR, it was difficult to say. Nothing came of the free kick, and we ended the half 2-2.

Hempnall made two changes at the break, Lekanyang and New entered the field and the second half started with most of the play in the opposition’s half.

Numerous chances and half chances came and went, Hempnall finally scoring their third through Lekanyang who shot into the corner of the net after more good work from Cattermole and Gent. 

Hempnall’s fourth was, in some eyes, fortunate, as a 50/50 tackle saw the opposition full-back left on the floor, the ball fell to Billy Kelly, who with acres of space, passed to Herbert whose cross shot flew into the top corner. 4-2. This caused the only issue in the match when the opposition defender was sent off for swearing at the referee – a great pity in such a good, competitive, game.

With the opposition down to 10 men, Jillings decided to level it up a bit, and rashly tackled the Marshland forward, who smashed in the penalty past the Hempnall keeper.

Hempnall were getting a little jittery, and were fortunate to get away with a decision that, on another day, might have been deemed a penalty, but Hempnall were largely still playing the better football, and saw the game out to be deserved winners. 

Whilst, on the whole, Hempnall looked the better team over 90 minutes, Marshland played their part in what turned out to be a very good game of football played in the proper spirit, and all credit to them.

Our MOM, as voted by the players (and I agree, incidentally), was Jake Gent.