Hednesford Away 1 – 1 (!!!!😁)

28th August 2021

Attendance 552

MoM – Jake Alley “I dunno how much you’re paying your goalie – but he’s worth every penny” from one of their supporters as they left the match” 👏

Alcoholic Units – just the 4; not even wine for me today (I did want a wine at the end, but Mr ‘never 2 seconds away from his phone’ didn’t get the message 🤨 Not that I’ve gone on about it 😂)

A 10.30 start for us this morning on the players coach; the already lite GreenArmy would be even lighter today, with just me BigAl, DJ, Grandad Lew, Rodney, M and Mr B making today’s trip up north 🙁 Its the Waders furthest away match this season and would be another tough day due to covid and playing a top side.

The journey was good with just the one hold up on the way; Hednesford ground ‘Keys Park’ is seriously impressive and I’d guess the best in our league… the drinks were reasonable and staff all really friendly 😊

The ladies loos left a bit to be desired 😏 not quite as bad as Nuneaton, but not the best 🙄 given how good the ground was…

Today would be a tough one just like last week – Hednesford are unbeaten and another team tipped for the top 3 😬 added to this Covid had ripped through the squad and we’d just about scrapped together 13 players…

Chips curry sauce and cheese burger before kick off – very good; they boasted x2 vans and snacks behind the bar, clearly a club geared up for much higher levels.

Before the 1st half, the club held a minutes applause for their grounds man Dave Bates (#GrassMaster) who’d sadly passed away last week following many year of dedicated service to the club; It was all done very well and impeccably observed 👏👏♥

Fully expecting to be on the back foot, it was no surprise that the pitmen came out all guns blazing creating numerous chances, but Waders defence held firm with Jake Alley making some impressive saves and really coming into his own this game.

Waders had a couple of chances with Magloire Muyembe having a shot saved by their keeper and Joe Neal tried a chip over the keeper from the edge of the box – but it went well over..

0 -0 at half time… 👀 Not quite sure how we’d held on, but we had.

Back out for the 2nd half and the pitmen meant business and started what would be a long 45 minutes with them battering us; Just as we were thinking there was 15 min left, maybe we could hang on… they scored the goal that had been coming all game 😏

1 – 0 Hednesford after 73 mins

It was now a case of hoping the score could be kept respectable, there fans were willing them on, sensing more goals…. Lewey had taken to the back of the stand chanting lalalalalalala WADERS!!!!!!!!!!! joined only by Bigal as most of us were biting our nails…

In the dying minutes (4 minutes extra time) the ball made a rare appearance in the Hednesford half, the ball was crossed into the box and for once the orange shirts seemed to outnumber the home defence; Shane Bush, still desperate to be center forward, got a foot to the ball and poked it into the net 1 – 1 😁😁

We went wild!!!!!!!!!!! what an unbelievable feeling that was – I was shaking with adrenaline 😍😍😍

Superscoop had left early for a long bike back South 😉 and so managed to miss scoop of the season 🤐

At Nuneaton our draw felt like a loss, todays draw felt like a win; we certainly weren’t the better team and they will rightfully feel mugged off by us – but we made our chance count and I LOVED IT 😍

I know there was a bit of aggro at the end behind the goal and Jake booked for giving a friendly wave to their supporters 😜 it always amuses me the morale outrage of 99% football fans who’ve spent 90 minutes giving dogs abuse to the keeper, when they get some back 😂😂 (I’m in the 1% 😇)

I found Hednesford to be a very friendly club, with lots families and children enjoying the non league experience, which I love to see; and despite having 3 points snatched from them, they were super gracious and all wished us well 🥰 one of the better away days and certainly made up for last weeks experience at ours!

It was a good journey home – and at 8pm I am pleased to report, I finally got that wine 🥂 and a cheeky pizza 😂

Home to St.Ives on BH Monday.

#GetWellSoonNunny #GreenArmy #Waders