| JANUARY 2003 |
| David Sadler, reborn or what? |
|
What an inspiration Dave Sadler has been this month since being switched to the
right midfield position. Having got Chris Smith and Scott Voice up front and
there being a gap in midfield Dave seemed to be plugging the hole. However, he
has made the position his own in recent games. Not only has he still got his
predatory instinct for goal, but the ability to run either at people or to the
byline for the cross. One thing we have been missing this season has been a
midfielder who has run at the opposition defenders. Through injury and team
selection we have had mainly defensive minded midfielders and this has shown
in our attitude towards the game. Leon Jackson obviously was brought in to do
this job and Leon Doughty also to some degree can adapt to the role, though
Dave Sadler seems like he's played there all his life. When he came back from
Kingstonian we could see his all round game had got better, and now it's been
put to good use. He'd found himself recently having to come deeper into midfield
to get the ball anyway, so he might as well play there. Against Hastings
recently, the defenders did not know how to cope with him. The times he got
the ball around the back, and the goal he set up for Voice was superb. He went
inside then was blocked, but then went outside and still beat the man to cross
for voice to score. At Stafford many people said his solo goal was the best
they seen. Picking up the ball and going past 3 - 6 defenders (depending on
who you ask?) before beating the keeper. Completely by accident it seems he
has found his niche on the football field. 17th Century remains on the site of the New Stadium. What are they then? DT's tactics book? The Social Club moved a year early? My jokes catalogue? One of Sid's old jars of pickled onions? The last 3 points for Sh*psh*d? Mick Voce's wallet? Penry, the mild mannered janitor? No none of those, er, apparently, but instead a 'crop enclosure', which means an old field to me and you. Now we all like history, after all, the past shapes our future, but a bloody field! At the risk of having crusty 'units' tax dodging outside my house with their dogs tied to their waists offering to be human shields in front of the JCB's, why not just bung one of the archaeologists some dollars to keep 'stum' and bulldoze it. I mean one less old field in another old field, here or there is not going to make any difference really, is it? |
| The honour of a European tie to start the year... |
|
...with a trip to deepest Wales to play Newport County. Hinckley started well
and could've taken the lead twice early on. Wayne Dyer was inches away from
touching a Cartwright cross, and Paul Hunter couldn't bundle the ball in after
Dyer had a shot. Things turned against us very quickly though, a free kick was
given to Stafford on the edge of the area and after only 10 minutes we were
1 - 0 down. Just 5 minutes later it was 2 - 0. Whittle cleared poorly and
though he saved the shot from Shephard, Luntala scored the follow up. Even at
2 - 0 down we kept plugging away. Hunter was unlucky to hit the keeper's legs
and Jamie March had a chance blocked on the line. But as our luck goes, Hinckley
went in at half time still without a goal. The second half started again with
Hinckley pushing forward, as they had everything to do now. The goal finally
came on the hour mark. Mountain, in the County goal, dropped the ball under
'pressure' from Hunter and Chris Smith simply had to tap the ball in. 10 minutes
later Hinckley had levelled. A Storer free kick completely deceived Mountain
and Simon Dakin smashed it into the net from 6 yards. Now it was all Hinckley
and there looked only one winner, unfortunately we all saw it wrong. With 5
minutes left another bad clearance from Whittle fell again to Shephard though
this time he made sure of finishing. So near and yet so far, but the result
stood 3 - 2 to County and yet again thinking of the 'what ifs'. Next was a big 'battle', the battle of Hastings in fact. (no it isn't funny really) They had been on a poor run of form lately and had slipped to just above us in the table. Many people were confident that today was going to be our first league win since November. However after 20 minutes we were all wondering just how many we would concede. Hinckley started well in what was clearly an attack minded team, but were hit by a sucker punch after only 10 minutes. A very long goal kick was touched on into the path of Zahana-Oni who gave Whittle no chance. Still we pushed forward and then in Hastings second attack they went 0 - 2 up through Ruddy. Yeah, ruddy marvellous, 20 minutes gone and we were 2 down, for the second match running. To their credit Hinckley didn't panic and carried on with the same game plan. As time went on Hastings defended deeper and deeper. Hinckley were getting their wide midfielders, Dave Sadler and the returning Jamie Lenton, more and more on the ball, which was creating chance after chance. The usual luck saw us go in for the break yet again without a goal. Leon Doughty was bought on for the second half which clearly showed DT's intention for Hinckley to surge forward, and that's just what they did. It didn't take long for Hinckley to score. Sadler took the ball right to the byline and crossed it back. Chris Smith flicked the ball on with his head at the near post and it flew over everyone into the goal. The flow was with Hinckley and just minutes later they were level. Voice headed on to Doughty running into the area and he hit it on the half volley at about head high. The ball flew into the net as King, in the Hastings goal, was literally rooted to the spot. Hastings had no answer, whatever their game plan was after going 2 up, it was right out of the window. 5 minutes later and Hinckley were incredibly in the lead. Sadler picked the ball up on the edge of the area and cut inside, his way was blocked so he turned and went around the man on the outside. He'd got 2 players marking him and he still got a cross in. Scott Voice had run in to the far post and headed the ball in from 6 yards. With more chances coming for Voice and Smith as Sadler and Lenton began to get more free space, Hinckley really should have increased their lead further. They were very nearly made to pay for the missed chances. Right at the death Zahana-Oni somehow found himself in acres of space with the ball at his feet. The glory went straight to his head and he blasted the ball wide when it was easier to score. Yet again Hinckley had gone 0 - 2 down and come back from it, this time to win 3 - 2. Not only that but it was our first league win since November. Double hussahs all round. It was now time to defend our Leicestershire Challenge Cup at our local rivals Barwell. Well the gap between the Midland Alliance and the DM Premier is light years it would seem. Hinckley were 0 - 3 up after 15 minutes, then 0 - 6 up after an hour, through goals from Penny, Dyer, 2 for Voice and 2 for Smith. Percival got a goal back for Barwell, but Dyer scored his second to give Hinckley a 1 - 7 win and breeze into the semi final, against Leicester City. The last game would be a tough test. Away at Stafford Rangers, who could go 2nd in the table with a win. The first half was end to end. Hinckley had two good chances but Ryan Price, in the Stafford goal, saved brilliantly from Dakin at point blank and then one handed kept out Voice. Tommy Whittle did his bit too by keeping out efforts from Petty, Heath and Lovatt. 0 - 0 at half time and Hinckley were playing as well as top table Stafford. It didn't take long for the wheels to come off. With the second half 15 minutes gone, Dennis Bailey dodged the whole Hinckley defence and slotted past Whittle to make it 1 - 0. Hinckley were attacking but the ball broke for Robin Given on the half way line. He ran all the way down the middle avoiding player after player until he only had Whittle to beat and he made no mistake of that. 2 - 0 down and heading for another away defeat. Dave Sadler pulled back what seemed a consolation goal on 87 minutes with the best goal of the game. He picked up the ball on the left cut inside across the area, took the ball around 4 Stafford players and then blasted past low past Price. I say 'seemed a consolation', as a free kick in injury time was lined up by Fox. He placed the ball right into the far corner of the net with Price unable to do anything about it. The game finished 2 - 2 with Stafford bemused as to how they let it slip. In terms of results not a bad month, performances however have left a bit to be desired. Yes the team have dug deep to come back from 0 - 2 a couple of times, but you've got to ask how they got there in the first place. The one game where they played really well all match ended in a 1 - 1 draw versus Dover. Just goes to show there really is no logic in our beautiful game. |
| In out, Shake it all about |
|
Scott Voice's loan spell came to an end early January, and we managed to sign
him onto an 18 month contract, which was nice. Hinckley had to pay Hereford
United a nominal '4 figure' fee for the experienced forward. An old fan's favourite came back to Middlefield Lane from Nuneaton Borough. Jamie Lenton was signed for a one month loan spell towards the end of the month. The club's former record goalscorer had been in and out the Boro' team and Nuneaton decided to loan him back to Hinckley for him to get some regular match practise. How kind. Surprisingly Jamie March is being allowed to leave. The experienced left sided player does not figure in DT plans at the moment, and the loan signing of Lenton didn't help him much. He is being allowed to leave on a free and was still talking to other clubs as I wrote this. The Paul Hunter saga finally came to an end this month. Having returned from his Evesham United loan spell, he got a couple of first team games and then was transferred permanently to Evesham. Apparently he was having trouble travelling for midweek commitments (I'm not surprised, they were a terrible band, and the lead singer was a right fat ff...) at Hinckley and was happier moving closer to his home. Another loan spell turned into a permanent move as Farhad Afandiyev refused to cover for Tommy Whittle so was transferred to Barwell permanently. |
| World of Football Stuff |
|
A Romanian footy club, who are sick of pitch invasions, wants to stop fans with
a moat around the pitch, er, filled with crocodiles. Fed up bosses have come
up with the extreme measure because the club has been threatened with expulsion
from its league. Romanian Fourth division team Steaua Nicolae Balcescu plan to
keep the crocs warm in winter by heating the water. Club Laura Hand got her and her son a precious FA Cup ticket, thanks to her dog. The Scunthorpe fan queued with her pet, Pepy, for two hours to get a ticket for their 3rd round tie against Leeds United. As she neared the front of the 1000 strong queue, staff then said it would only be one ticket per person. Other fans urged her to get a ticket for the dog as it had queued too. Staff agreed after insisting on checking the dog's id, his collar. Laura said: "I won't take Pepy, but if it wasn't for him my son Brett wouldn't have a ticket." (Ah bless, but do you think this could be used in other areas? Getting two for one because of our pets. It wouldn't do Richard Gere any harm, imagine - Yes thank you Mr Gere, here is your purchase, and will there be anything for the hamster�?) Now is the year AD43 - that's After Diego, according to the worlds newest religion. Argentinian football fans have created a religion dedicated to the worship of Diego Maradona, based at the Hand of God chapel, in Rosario. They celebrate their own special christmas on October 30th, Maradona's birthday, and June 22nd is Hand of God Day. This is the anniversary of the fat, pie scoffing, renowned cheating, drug addict's act of contempt for the whole footballing world, in 1986 against England. The congregation often reaches 400. (Erm, which is more than us. I wonder if they celebrate the day he was banned from football for drug taking, then when FIFA bottled it and let him play again it would be like easter to them. Now I mention it though - 400 Argentinians in one room, just where is HMS Conqueror when you need it?) "No Gellar, Obi Wan lied, I am your Father." Struggling Exeter City has a real force to battle the threat of relegation� Darth Vader. Actor David Prowse, who plays the Star Wars villain, has been made a director of the 3rd Division club. Chairman Uri Gellar said "I can see rivals looking at David and thinking 'oh no, Darth Vader's on their side'." David said: "Hopefully I can use the force to help the team." (what Uzi Gellar forgets is that Prowse also used to be the Green Cross Code Man. A 6 foot man walking around in green tights stopping children in the streets? Well Uri I can tell you I wouldn't be thinking about Darth Vader on your side, I'd be too busy finding a safe place to cross, then run and get a policeman as quick as possible. I must stress there is no truth in the rumour that Gary Glitter is also being considered for a place on the Exeter board.) |
| Coming next Season: Some very important games mostly at the Lane. Ilkeston, Grantham, and Havant at home are all beatable teams. Moor Green away, their good run must come to an end soon. Also Chippenham's first visit to Hinckley, though that will be a harder game than the others. Then finally the LCC semi final against Leicester City (probably youth and res') at Holmes Park. |
| return to top |