Orington 0 (4-5 Pens) Hawkhurst Utd 0
What should have been a more entertaining game between two evenly matched sides was spoilt by the rock hard, bumpy pitch and the fact that the school had marked out a running track and various other squares without bothering to mark the actual pitch – the near touchline could only be seen because of a line of kitbags! Grass roots football without the grass!
Orington started the better and their forwards looked to get in behind the Hawkhurst defence at every opportunity. However they failed to convert these chances with a shot clipping the bar as their best effort. The Hawks struggled and a lot of bickering amongst themselves and with the referee didn’t help their cause. Their only real chance of the first half came when Barry met Harry’s (isn’t that a film?) free kick but there was no one coming in to convert the chance.
The second half was more equal, plenty of headers as the ball bounced about and little in the way of football as players had to wait for the ball to come down and that meant they were tackled as soon as they tried to get control. Matt Todd forced a save from the home keeper with a header and Fergie was just unable to reach the loose ball. At the other end, Lee Colvin and Grant Hyner both made vital goal line clearances as Orington tried to grab a late winner.
With the score still level and the gathering gloom meaning that extra-time was never an option, the game went to penalties. Orington scored four good penalties but these were matched by Paul Channer, Barry, Jimmy and Fergie (much to his surprise!). Orington’s fifth penalty was low down the centre of the goal and Paul Buss, resisting the urge to commit himself too early, made a good save. Matt Todd stepped up for the Hawks’ fifth penalty and, with years of penalty taking experience behind him, the outcome was never in doubt.
So the Hawks make the semi-final and a home game where we hope to find some grass and actual pitch markings – over to you Mr Wiggins.
:lol:).
