FAT: Hemel Hempstead fc v Torquay United 3pm 24th January 15

Love it.......job done......North ferriby away plz next.......ok I am being selfish .......ha ha .......si

Well done lads, especially the ones who are playing for peanuts great effort a difficult game and the pressure was on. 2-0 and another clean sheet in this comp though I fancy its going to be even tougher next round
Like to think we can convert the cup form to the league.
Mmmm.

Oooooo do I sense some optimism after today.....amid all the turmoil going on ......lol.......si

Is the draw Monday lunchtime again?

Quite enjoyed that today. We had quite a few fans there, too. Not a match of quality on a poor surface. Most of the action in both halfs was up the other end from us as Hemel dominated possession for the first 30 minutes of the second half and never gave up, despite being left sucker-punched with our second - a classic Downes header from a corner into the corner, at our end. that said, we had quite a few chances on the counter attack and we do look decent on the counter. McQuilkin, Richards and Briscoe all had very good shots tipped around the corner in that second half and Bowman missed an absolute sitter of a header. The penalty looked like something Bowman was certainly playing for, but their keeper duly obliged and bundled into him whilst being rounded. Only a red card could follow as he was in on an open goal 10 yards out if not fouled. Bowman chipped it to the new keepers right very casually as the keeper went the other way.

I thought we played well defensively throughout and particularly in that second half when 10 man Hemel pressed and pressed to no effect. Angus looked as if he went off early with a thigh problem, not a knee problem, so McQuilkin replaced Pearce at right back and Pearce moved into the centre. The three man central midfield experiment over.

Verdict: We're a decent counter-attacking side. We did what we had to and got stuck in today on a much cut-up playing surface. No idea if we would have beaten an eleven man determined Hemel side, but didn't need to find out.

Rice 6 Did nothing wrong. One very good save with his feet.
McQuilkin 6 same. Some decent distribution on the counter.
Downes 7 well taken goal. Solid.
Pearce 7 had a goofd game when restored to centre back early doors
Ives 7 gritty disay as ever. One very good goal line clearance in second half during Hemel's spell
Chappel 6.5 Good on the counter
Harding 6 Didn't notice him much today, apart from when we calmed down after the second and played it around a bit. Ok.
Richards 6.5 more assured than he had become
Ajala 8 My MOTM. I get the feeling he would give it his all if they carried on playing til midnight.
Briscoe 5 not a good display today
Bowman 6.5 provided a good outlet, worked hard and good to see him notch another. Missed a sitter, mind.

I'd like North Ferriby away so I can visit my mate in Hessle, rather than waiting for Halifax away for that. be nice if we could avoid any remaining Conference Premier side. This Trophy is becoming a nice distraction.

I'd like to think we may have done. Well, I don't believe we would have lost. They, of course, had to sacrifice an attacking player to bring on the substitute goalkeeper. Not literally but you know what I mean.

The second keeper certainly doesn't feature too often. This season he's only played in Hertfordshire cup competitions.

Needing to replace MacDonald wasn't as catastrophic for us as losing the keeper for them. But it needed a switch away from the original intention of playing Pearce at right-back and McQuilkin in midfield.

It was a fair climb from the town. Nothing by South Devon standards of course.

Not somewhere I'd thought of visiting with Torquay United. We were three divisions above Hemel last season. Surprisingly easy on the Waterloo line from Exeter Central; just a single change at Clapham Junction. A diversion now via Staines. Saturday mornings travelling to games is one thing. Saturday evenings travelling home is something else.

Bit of an "undercover" day for me yesterday. I sat with the home supporters in the small stand along the side. No more than five rows so not a particularly elevated view. And, if anybody asked, I had a note from the eye clinic. It doesn't specifically say "this patient must be allowed to watch football from the halfway line" but that's how I shall explain away the jargon if challenged.

Vauxhall Road is a pretty typical ground for a club which has largely existed in the middle rankings of non-league football. In Hemel's case, up to around ten years ago, this was usually the lower divisions of the Isthmian League.



The club actually dates from 1885 and I gather it was a village outfit - known as Apsley - playing local football until the 1950s. Then, as Hemel started growing after being designated a New Town, the club switched to London football. This would have reflected the fact that many of the "newcomers" were from North London. Indeed the area surrounding the football ground is pretty much where the first new estates were ready for occupation in 1950. Classic early post-war new town layout and building design. For those who drove, I imagine it was a quick in and out from the motorway. For those who may have arrived by train, there would have been a sighting of Hemel's very own "magic roundabout". And, should there have been any worry about not heading in the right direction, there was a clue that visiting supporters had passed this way before:



I saw Kelvin Thomas and Tristan Lewis soon after arrival. I can't help thinking Tristan Lewis is advising on more than just youth development. Indeed, should there be something to any of this, I'm back to believing Lewis is a key figure. His "connections" may be as significant as those of Thomas.

I also had a strange thought yesterday about the timing of any major changes at the club. Now - with, as more than likely, the league season petering out - appears to be the perfect time for a transition. But perhaps the FA Trophy adds another dimension?

As for the next round I don’t ask for anything fancy. A solid home draw would be perfectly acceptable.