"Wake me up when September ends" go the lyrics, well it may be the first day of October but it seems Hardy must've nodded back to sleep after conceding two goals in the first 10 minutes. The first came from the first corner of the game, the ball dropping just inside the back post. The second was an impressive goal, a perfectly flighted ball from 20 yards that left Chris in the Hardy goal stranded.
Heads began to drop, but Hardy now decided that it was time to start playing. Initially being kept to long pot shots at goal, Hardy began to stretch the home team's defence more and more, and with it their defending becoming more and more desperate. Ben and Gary were working the wings with well, and with support for the front two coming through Dan and Paul in the middle it wouldn't be long before the pinks got themselves back in the game. They didn't have to wait too long, a one-two between Bill and Dave left the former to deftly bring the ball under control and arrow a shot into the corner. Game on!
It wasn't all one-way though, with Chris having to be particularly alert to block a clever back heel from the Emerhorns' striker and another goal bound shot was cleared off the line by the once again impressive Jimmy.
Minutes later, and after some good team work the ball broke to Paul who flashed his shot wide when it looked easier to score. Shots began to rain down on the home side's goal from everywhere. Next up was Gary, who beat his man before zipping in a cross that was just beyond Ben's reach. Dan Kempster stamped his authority on the game, scoring in his second successive game after coming back from injury.
After the disastrous start the away side would be glad to go in at half time level pegging, but they still had to chances to go in ahead. A corner from the home side was routinely cleared to Dave waiting on the halfway line. He raced down the wing and delivered a perfect cross. Who was waiting on the end of it? Having raced the full length on the pitch Mike was there to support the diminutive striker and finding himself unmarked, he powered his header just wide. A great defensive header, but not at this end of the pitch. Rumours of him being dropped for missing such a routine chance could have some basis.
So the sides went in level at half time, would the second half separate the men from the boys? Only time would tell.
After winning the ball in his own half, Bill had a chance to put Hardy up for the first time. Bearing down on goal with only the keeper to beat, he knocked the ball past the keeper before being viciously assaulted by the opposing keeper. "Penalty!" came the shouts, no said the referee, who would've needed a high-powered telescope to see the incident from where he standing, just inside the other half.
With Paul coming off injured and Trevor coming onto replace him, Dave dropped into the centre of midfield. Almost instantly Emerhorns were back in front. I cant remember how they scored, so answer on a postcard (or in the forum, if you wish) on how it happened. The more insane, the more chance it has of going in the here. Gary moved into the middle with Dave utilising his trickery on the right wing.
So, Hardy were chasing the game and needed a goal. A great break down the left by Ben left him in acres of space, but a unexpected visitor entered the field of play, and with Ben having to take evasive action, the moment was lost. Minutes later the ball broke to Dave on the edge of the box, but his snapshot ended up closer to the corner flag than the goal.
Chris once again had to be alert in the Hardy goal, diving bravely at the feet of an Emerhorns player almost definitely about to score. He again got injured in the process, but he carried and in the final moments of the game produced the save of the match. The Emerhorns player chose his spot, but Chris was on hand to dive high to his right, hang in the air and push the ball expertly over the bar.
With 15 minutes left on the clock Hardy were level again. A possibly offside Trev received the ball on almost the by-line, hitting a hard and low cross across goal but slightly behind Gary. A failed attempt to control the ball teed it up perfectly for Ben to choose his spot and place it expertly into the corner with his right foot.
After having a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside last week, it looks like Gary's luck isn't about to change anytime soon. After receiving the ball 10 yards out, he turned his marker with ease before unleashing a shot on goal that was somehow pushed onto the underside of the bar, and away to safety.
Could someone produce a piece of magic to separate the sides? In the final moments Trev found some space, his impressive but audacious shot whizzing just past the left-hand upright
The whistle blew, 3-3 the final score. Some would say that we should be disappointed with the end result, but great character, along with a couple of moments of brilliance and a smidgen of luck we got ourselves back in the game. And you know what? "Some people" are wrong.
