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Sunday 2nd Tony Marchant was living the dream. To be fair, not many people would describe managing Hemel Hempstead Town in those terms but the phrase was an accurate summary of how the man himself was feeling. Tony had been associated with the club for the best part of 30 years, having joined as a player in 1977, the year that the Tudors took their place in the Isthmian League, as the current Rymans League was known in those days. He was a regular fixture in the first team for 20 years and continued to turn out for the reserves as a player/coach until he turned 40, at which point he hung up his boots and took over as first team coach. Promoted to Assistant Manager five years ago he was a key figure as the team reached the Southern League Premier Division in 2004 and after a season of consolidation they achieved another promotion to the Conference South last season. A difference of opinion with the club’s Chairman saw the Hemel manager depart in early summer and when Tony was asked to take over at the helm he jumped at the opportunity. It would be fair to say that Tony loved the club and loved his job but he was not blind to the challenges that lay ahead of him.
For starters the club was not exactly flush with cash – they weren’t carrying any debt but their currently modest overdraft was likely to be stretched to the limit over the course of the season. Next, he really needed to boost the backroom team as, himself apart, the only other member of the coaching staff was Danny Nicholls. Now Danny was a nice enough guy but his coaching skills were no more than adequate as far as Tony was concerned. Similarly, physiotherapist Rory Curtis was a thoroughly pleasant young man but as a newly qualified practitioner he was an unproven quantity. And as far as scout Louis Whittaker was concerned there was no doubting his enthusiasm and commitment but Tony didn’t trust his judgement well enough to take a punt on any player he recommended without having a look himself.
There was slightly more positive news as far as the playing squad was concerned and some quick mental arithmetic showed that the manager had 24 players on the books. Some slightly more taxing calculations revealed that the average age of his squad was a tender 19 (that rang a bell – something to do with Vietnam wasn’t it?). Just six of his players were 21 or older and the remainder were all teenagers so it was clear that he would need a lot more experience in his team if they were to survive in the cutthroat Conference South.
The manager had been scribbling some rough notes as he had been considering all of this and he took a moment to glance at his notepad.
Quote:
Right hand man
Player/coach?
Scouting
Physio
Time to make some phone calls.
Tuesday 4th Tony’s work on the telephone had produced quick results as he secured the services an experienced Physio, Kevin Doyle, late of Birmingham City. Perhaps more importantly he had found the right hand man that he had wanted in the shape of former Stockport coach George Hudson. Doyle arrived at the club just in time to tend to an injured player as 21-year-old keeper Steve Smith had turned his ankle in an innocuous warm up session. The prognosis was that several weeks rest would be required to get the lad capable of training again, never mind playing.
Friday 7th With Louis Whittaker actively searching for new players Tony had also asked his coaching staff, and new assistant Hudson in particular, if they could suggest any potential targets. Combined with his own knowledge of the local scene this gave him an initial shortlist of potential targets and today the first of those was secured. 26-year-old keeper Danny Hurst was a recommendation from George and as he was out of contract at Radcliffe Boro no fee was involved. Later the same day 31-year-old Scott Corbett became a Hemel player after Kingstonian declined to offer him a new deal. A defensive midfielder by preference he could also play in a more central position or in central defence and flexibility was always a useful asset for a player at this level.
Saturday 8th Friendly Match
Hemel 3 Hendon 2 Jon Hogg (34), James Parker og (45), Mitch Wallace (75) – James Burgess (72), Phil Butler (84) Man of the Match – Jon Hogg (Hemel)
Attendance - 121
This was the first in a series of warm up games to prepare the team as best as possible for the forthcoming season. Tony selected all of his senior players in the starting eleven and filled the bench with a selection of his youth players as it seemed increasingly likely that a number of them would be playing an active role for the seniors in the season ahead. He also made sure that every fit player in the squad got some time on the pitch as well so it was hard to read too much into the performance. Nonetheless he was pleased with the win and was impressed by 16-year-old centre back Hogg. With no fit left winger available he had selected another 16-year-old, striker Tommy Hunter, on the left of midfield and he too did well. Club captain Alifie Kamara, a former Ipswich youth player, struggled after picking up a slight knock but showed enough for Tony to hope that he would be a big contributor in midfield.
Monday 10th The Hemel scouting operation was boosted by the arrival of Les Brotherton who had helped out Tony in the past with a few good recommendations. He was immediately sent to work to try to identify a few free agents with full backs a priority as Tony had no cover in those positions. A left midfielder or two was also on the shopping list.
Wednesday 12th Friendly Match
Hemel 3 Ashton United 2 Fabio Valenti (6, 19, 22) – Steve Garvey (10), Callum Deakin (82) Man of the Match – Fabio Valenti (Hemel)
Attendance - 122
Once again Tony made sure that every player in the squad got some playing time and clearly introducing so many changes on the pitch had an affect on the overall performance. Nevertheless it was another win and an impressive hat trick from 28-year-old Valenti. Strike partner Gary Sippetts also played well, Kamara was influential in midfield and Hogg had another good game in the centre of defence.
Thursday 13th A left back was signed today, 30-year-old Justin Gregory preferring to come to Hemel rather than renew his contract with Havant & Waterloo. He can also play on the left of midfield and although Tony was forced to agree a £400 a week wage, the highest at the club at that point, he felt that Gregory was of sufficient calibre to justify the outlay. Later the same day another deal was signed to bring 26-year-old forward Luke Vincent to the club.
Friday 14th The first of several trialists turned up at the club today, 18-year-old left midfielder Lee Carey and 20-year-old defender Danny Black, a player who is equally at home at right back as he is in central defence.
Saturday 15th Friendly Match
Hemel 2 Kingstonian 0 Luke Vincent (46, 90) Man of the Match – Luke Vincent (Hemel)
Attendance – 107
All of the new Hemel players were given a run out, including 26-year-old left back Matt Cross who arrived at the club on the very morning of the match. Tony was encouraged to see Vincent make a big impression on his debut although none of the other new arrivals particularly excelled.
Sunday 16th Another trialist turned up today, 25-year-old David Ness, who claims his strongest position is left back but can also play in the centre of defence.
Tuesday 18th Friendly Match
Hemel 0 Canvey Island 1 Robbie McDonald (52) Man of the Match – Terry O’Connell (Canvey Island)
Attendance – 116
This was the club’s first defeat in their warm up programme and probably their worst performance so far. None of the Hemel players performed well in a lacklustre affair but at least the squad was building up some degree of match fitness.
Saturday 22nd Trialist Lee Carey phoned in to let Tony know that he had hurt his knee whilst playing squash. The manager asked him to call in at the club so that the physios could assess the damage and the conclusion was a muscle sprain that could mean that the teenager would be unable to play again during his trial period.
Monday 24th Friendly Match
Hemel 1 Folkestone 2 Gary Sippets (45) – Adam Arnold (79), Jon Hogg o.g. (89) Man of the Match – Adam Arnold (Folkestone)
Attendance – 122
The neutral observer would probably agree that this was a match that the home side should have won comfortably. They had a goal disallowed, struck the woodwork and created twice as many chances as the visitors only to lose to two late goals, the winner a fluky deflection off an unfortunate defender. But football isn’t always fair and it was a salutary lesson for some of the youngsters in the side to realise that justice was not always on the side of the brave and Tony was sure that it would not be the last time this season that they would experience the feeling that life was unfair.
Saturday 29th Friendly Match
Hemel 0 Staines 0
Man of the Match – Scott Corbett (Hemel)
Attendance – 116
This was a match that was as dull as the scoreline suggests and was not the best way to bring pre-season preparations to a conclusion. However, in the few weeks that he had been in sole charge Tony had seen enough in both training and in their warm up programme to establish in his own mind what the club’s strongest lineup was. He had also decided the fate of the three players in on trial – Danny Black and David Ness would be offered deals but the injured Carey would not.
Cheers PM - see that kids, behind that gruff exterior beats a heart of pure granite
August 2006
Monday 1st Black and Ness both sign the contracts that were put on the table.
Friday 4th Teenage striker Craig Roberts had the misfortune to suffer a torn groin muscle, a particularly unpleasant injury for a lad at his stage of development.
Friday 11th With their first match of the season fast approaching Tony concentrated on selecting the 16 players that would face Salisbury for their opening match of the season.
GK – Danny Hurst, 26
DR – Danny Black, 20
DL – Matt Cross, 26
DC – Adam Ryan, 16
DC – Jon Hogg, 16
MR – Ian Shields, 16
ML – Justin Gregory, 30
MC – Alifie Kamara, 21, Captain
MC – Scott Corbett, 31
ST – Luke Vincent, 26
ST – Fabio Valenti, 28
Subs
Tamer Fernandes, 31, GK
Craig Mooney, 16, DC
Abdulai Yoki, 25, AMC
Mitch Wallace, 16, MC
Gary Sippets, 30, ST
The manager’s main concern was that both of his first choice centre backs were aged just 16 – but then again both of his backup centre backs were the same age! He had not been successful in attracting any experienced central defenders to the club but his entire scouting operation was still striving to find some suitable candidates.
Saturday 12th Conference South Matchday 1
Hemel 2 Salisbury 2 Scott Corbett (6), Fabio Valenti (62) – Paul Sales (89), Jon Beswetherick (90) Man of the Match – Paul Sales (Salisbury)
Attendance – 600
Tony and his team were gutted to have thrown away an opening day win by conceding twice in the final minutes of the game. They got off to a splendid start when Corbett launched himself at a corner to open the scoring and when Valenti scored their second with a dipping 20-yarder the home side were looking good. But the introduction of substitute Sales invigorated the visitors and the experienced striker pulled a goal back very late in the game. Their equaliser came from a free kick two minutes in to stoppage time and to make matters worse Corbett suffered what turned out to be a broken arm just before the final whistle.
Tuesday 15th Conference South Matchday 2
Hemel 1 Hayes 4 Ian Shields (25) – Michael Bartley (20), John Dyer (38), Adam Ryan og (72), Kevin McKenna (90) Man of the Match – Kevin McKenna (Hayes)
Attendance – 583
With barely time for a gentle training session Hemel’s next game was quickly upon them. With Cross looking fatigued and Corbett injured Tony introduced David Ness and Abdulai Yoki into his starting eleven. Unfortunately Tony’s two young central defenders had a torrid evening with Jon Hogg substituted before half time and Ryan credited with an own goal. Goalscorer Ian Shields was the only home player who showed some spark and on top of the heavy defeat the club also lost Luke Vincent to injury. The unfortunate forward had to be taken to hospital and was diagnosed with a serious hip injury, ruling him out for several months.
Friday 18th Concerned about the durability of his teenage defenders, Tony was anxious to try to bring in players who were slightly more mature. Guided by his backroom staff he sent off three formal bids in the hope of having at least one accepted. Staines stalled over his offer to take the experienced Phil Dicker off their hands and he had no immediate reaction from either Oldham or Huddersfield regarding Chris Lever and Ashley Beck respectively. Both were aged 19 and transfer listed by their clubs with a nominal fee requested. Such was the state of the Hemel bank account that Tony could not even meet the £1,000 or so that each club wanted so he was hoping to persuade their employers to release then for free.
Saturday 19th Conference South Matchday 3
Yeading 0 Hemel 2 Alifie Kamara (52), Abdulai Yoki (68) Man of the Match – Jon Hogg (Hemel)
Attendance – 254
Further changes were made for the trip to Middlesex, some enforced (Gary Sippets in attack to replace Vincent) and some through choice (Tamer Fernandes in goal to replace the visibly uncertain Danny Hurst). Having been disappointed with his team’s display in their last home match Tony was delighted, and if he was honest, surprised by how well they performed in their first road trip of the season. The match was far from a classic, with the first half in particular extremely dreary, but two goals after the break saw then run out comfortable winners. Tony was particularly pleased with how well Jon Hogg did in defence after his nightmare in the last match – a testament to the resilience of youth, the manager supposed. The inevitable bad news came with yet another injury as striker Gary Sippetts suffered a broken collarbone, robbing Tony of another experienced forward.
Sunday 20th Tony received news that his bid for Phil Dicker had failed, the 38-year-old preferring to go to Workington in the Conference North instead. However, his cheeky bid of £0 for Ashley Beck did succeed and he was given permission to phone the young man to discuss a contract.
Monday 21st Oldham also accepted his offer to take Chris Lever off their hands and Tony was quickly on the blower to hammer out another offer.
Tuesday 22nd Conference South Matchday 4
Cambridge City 5 Hemel 0 Michael Gash (5), Lee Roache (10, 23, 58), Adam Ryan og (54) Man of the Match – Lee Roache (Cambridge City)
Attendance – 655
It was never going to be easy at second place City but striker Roache ripped the Hemel defence apart, notching a hat trick and leaving poor Adam Ryan in bits. Tony could only offer his youngsters words of sympathy and encouragement to try to keep them from becoming too discouraged.
Wednesday 23rd 19-year-old centre back Ashley Beck arrived to formally sign his three-year contract. The bad news was that the young man was limping when he came into Tony’s office having twisted his knee and he would be unable to play for a few weeks.
Thursday 24th Chris Lever was added to the playing roster to give Tony two new central defenders to choose from. No sooner had he signed on the dotted line than physio Kevin Doyle was in Tony’s office to let the manager know that his latest signing appeared to be suffering from arthritis and required a 2 or 3 week layoff!
Saturday 26th Conference South Matchday 5
Hemel 1 Thurrock 2 Jon Hogg (31) – Scott Canham (29), Ludovic Dje (45) Man of the Match – Ludovic Dje (Thurrock)
Attendance – 605
Tony seemed to be attracting injured players like some kind of magnet as for the 4th time in five matches a Hemel player was hurt. Midfielder Abdulai Yoki was the victim on this occasion, a pulled hamstring requiring several weeks recovery time. To add to their woes young winger Ian Shields was sent off in stoppage time when he picked up his second yellow card, meaning yet more changes for their next match. It was another frustrating defeat for the team and their manager was developing the distinct feeling that it was going to be a long old season.
Monday 28th Conference South Matchday 6
Eastleigh 2 Hemel 1 Eddie Gray (43), Justin Bennett (70) – Danny Black pen (64) Man of the Match – Danny Black (Hemel)
Attendance – 901
A Bank Holiday trip to the South Coast was supposed to be fun but unfortunately there was little joy for the boys from Hemel and another narrow loss left Tony’s team just one place and one point above the bottom three. The good news was that Hemel got through a full 90 minutes without having anyone injured.
Saturday 2nd Conference South Matchday 7
Havant & Waterlooville 2 Hemel 0 Michael Noone (20), Ben Sedgemore (23) Man of the Match – Brett Poate (Havant)
Attendance – 455
On the same day that England hosted Andorra in a European Championship qualifier Hemel made another trip south. The visitors started brightly and created several early chances and when Havant opened the scoring on 20 minutes it was against the run of play. But when the home side scored again three minutes later the fight was knocked out of Tony’s young team. The national side did better, winning 2-0 with second-half goals from Darren Bent and Frank Lampard after an early red card for Ashley Cole led to a hesitant first half performance.
Wednesday 6th England put in a much better display in Macedonia, winning 3-0 with goals from Peter Crouch, Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe, all scored in the first 30 minutes.
Saturday 9th Conference South Matchday 8
Hemel 2 Bedford 1 Alifie Kamara (9), Jon Hogg (86) – Keith Thomas (55) Man of the Match – Tommy Hunter (Hemel)
Attendance – 295
Once again Hemel started brightly and this time they profited from an early goal when Alifie Kamara flighted home a free kick from fully 30 yards out. Striker Tommy Hunter had made a break and had outstripped the Bedford defence when he was hauled back by midfielder Aaran Cavill and with the referee deciding that the Aussie was the last man he received his marching orders. Kamara’s goal from the resulting free kick was an added bonus and Tony was hopeful that his team could profit from their extra man. There was no further scoring in the first half as the home side were unable to penetrate a determined Bedford defence despite having a number of scoring efforts. Ten minutes after the restart the visitors broke forward to score an equaliser with what turned out to be their only attempt on target all afternoon. The visitors decided to play a spoiling game from then on and Hemel enjoyed a deal of possession but very few clear chances and Tony could see that his young players were getting very frustrated. Then with time running out centre back Jon Hogg got his head to a near-post corner to steer the ball home with the slightest of flicks to give his team their second win of the season. The bad news was a continuation of their injury problems with Kamara coming off just minutes after he scored and striker Fabio Valentini also picking up a knock. The midfielder was diagnosed with a groin strain and could be out for up to a month, a real blow just as the team had broken their losing streak.
Tuesday 12th Conference South Matchday 9
Hemel 0 Eastbourne Boro 3 Paul Armstrong (pen 57), Jay Lovett (76), Allan Tait (90) Man of the Match – Darren baker (Eastbourne)
Attendance – 465
Hemel faced the league leaders without a substitute striker, such was the extent of their injury problems, and despite the defeat Tony was pleased at how his team battled. They held firm for almost an hour until they were punished by a soft penalty. Eastbourne’s second was a pure fluke as they scored direct from a corner and their third came deep in stoppage time when a number of his youngsters were beginning to struggle.
Saturday 16th Conference South Matchday 10
Dorchester 2 Hemel 0 Matt Groves (6), Jon Hogg (og 59) Man of the Match – David Town (Dorchester)
Attendance – 375
It was clear to Tony that luck would not favour his team this afternoon as they conceded an early goal despite twice having struck the woodwork in the first five minutes. An own goal on the hour sealed the defeat and left the manager bemoaning his lack of a natural goalscorer as his team spurned a number of decent chances.
Monday 18th The draw for the second qualifying round of the FA Cup saw Hemel drawn away at non-league Northwood with the match to be played at the end of the month.
Saturday 23rd Conference South Matchday 11
Hemel 1 Bishop’s Stortford 1 Tommy Hunter (23) – Roy Essandoh (69) Man of the Match – Roy Essandoh (Bishop’s Stortford)
Attendance – 454
Teenager Hunter scored his first goal of the season midway through the first half when he fired home through a crowd of players in a frantic goalmouth scramble following a Hemel corner. Unfortunately he later retired hurt and his team were unable to hold out for a win with former Wycombe FA Cup hero Essandoh scoring a scrappy equaliser to grab a point for his team.
Saturday 30th FA Cup Second Qualifying Round
Northwood 2 Hemel 2 Peter Dean (35, 45) – Fabio Valenti (9, 22) Man of the Match – Fabio Valenti (Hemel)
Attendance – 160
Having quickly established a two-goal lead Tony was not at all happy that his players allowed the home side to get back into the match. The home side’s first goal came from a corner that the Hemel defence should have coped better with. Then the equaliser came deep in first-half stoppage time as keeper Tamer Fernandes and left back David Ness were trying to play out time. After exchanging several passes between one another the defender made a real hash of things, under hitting a pass so badly that young Northwood striker Dean was able to steal the ball and score his second goal of the game. On the plus side Tony was pleased to see Valenti break his ten-hour scoring drought, the striker taking both his chances neatly.
Monday 2nd Tony was pleased to see midfielder Kamara officially return to full training although it would be at least a week before the club captain would be risked in competitive action.
Wednesday 4th FA Cup Second Qualifying Round Replay
Hemel 1 Northwood 2 Fabio Valenti (29) - Peter Dean (49), Mark Nicholls (86) Man of the Match – Michael Croft (Northwood)
Attendance – 163
Once again Hemel made a good start to the tie, Valenti scoring on the half hour with a neat turn and shot. But when Dean found an equaliser early in the second half Tony had a bad feeling about the final outcome. His premonition proved to be true as the visitors scored a late winner with an outrageous overhead kick that on any other day would probably have gone soaring over the crossbar.
Saturday 7th Conference South Matchday 12
Newport County 1 Hemel 0 Ian Hillier (21) Man of the Match – Ian Hillier (Newport)
Attendance – 597
With any hopes of a lucrative cup run dashed it was time to re-focus on league survival and a trip to Wales to take on 17th place Newport. The manager decided to risk fielding Kamara in the starting eleven and the club captain lasted well, finally being substituted after picking up a booking and narrowly avoiding a second card. The home side were always in control with the Newport keeper not required to make a save all afternoon as Tony watched his side struggle yet again. At least the national side enjoyed a win, comfortably defeating Macedonia 3-0 at Old Trafford with Darren Bent getting a brace and Wayne Rooney providing the 3rd.
Wednesday 11th Bent was the hero again for England as he scored two more goals in their narrow 3-2 win in Croatia with Peter Crouch also on target. The Charlton striker had now scored 5 goals in four internationals as he inspired his team to fight back from conceding in the first minute of the match.
Saturday 21st Conference South Matchday 13
Hemel 0 Bognor Regis 0
Man of the Match – Leo Edwards (Bognor)
Attendance – 365
After a weekend off because of FA Cup matches Tony was able to welcome back experienced striker Gary Sippetts after his injury layoff. The match itself was a truly dire affair with a grand total of one scoring attempt on target all afternoon. Even though a point had been gained a win for fellow strugglers Basingstoke saw Hemel fall into the bottom three, leaving the manager in no doubt just what a long hard season lay in front of his team.
Wednesday 1st Conference South Matchday 14
Lewes 1 Hemel 0 Jamie Cade (77) Man of the Match – Matthew McEntegart (Lewes)
Attendance – 281
Forward Luke Vincent was deemed fit enough to start up front as Hemel travelled to the glamorously named Dripping Pan in desperate search of points. Tony couldn’t fault his team for effort and for the majority of the game they were the equals of their hosts. The losing goal was a scrambled affair with keeper Fernandes doing very well in a one-on-one but his defence let him down by making a panicky sliced clearance straight to an attacker who was able to square the ball to set up an east tap-in.
Saturday 4th Conference South Matchday 15
Hemel 0 Braintree 0
Man of the Match – Danny Black (Hemel)
Attendance – 228
With the visitors one place above Hemel on goal difference this was surely a must-win match for Tony’s team but once again their lack of firepower was a factor. With Sippetts unavailable it was down to Vincent and Valenti to provide the goals, a feat that proved beyond the Hemel strike pairing. The point left the home level with both Braintree and Basingstoke on points but behind them on goal difference. Farnborough continued to prop up the rest, thanks entirely to the 10-point deduction that they started the season with.
Wednesday 8th Club captain Alifie Kamara was once again struck down by injury as he suffered a groin strain in training and would miss several weeks of action.
Monday 13th Justin Gregory joined the queue for the treatment room with a heel injury leaving Tony with little choice but to call up 17-year-old Bobby Gibson to play on the left side of midfield.
Wednesday 15th Conference South Matchday 16
Sutton United 1 Hemel 0 Tony Quinton (11) Man of the Match – Jon Hogg (Hemel)
Attendance – 665
The trip to 2nd place Sutton was never going to be easy and the narrow defeat was neither unexpected nor a disgrace. The bad news was that both Basingstoke and Braintree both secured wins to open up daylight between them and Tony’s team. Having now gone 8 games without a victory, morale amongst the players was understandably low and Tony knew that if they didn’t pick up a win or two soon then the team might well get caught in a downward spiral of failure.
Saturday 18th Conference South Matchday 17
Hemel 1 Histon 1 Colin Beckett (45) – Jamie Barker (8) Man of the Match – Jamie Barker (Histon)
Attendance – 185
Another dreary game and another hard-fought point but precious little to entertain the few brave souls that turned out on a cold winter afternoon. A deflected goal for each side left the match all square and left Tony wondering just where his next win would come from.
Wednesday 22nd An unexpected phone call from Brentford manager Scott Fitzgerald brightened up Tony’s day as the Bee’s boss sounded out the possibility of Hemel signing 24-year-old striker Alex Rhodes for no fee. Tony expressed a strong interest and agreed that scout Louis Whittaker would watch the player in action for the Brentford reserves in their next match.
Saturday 25th FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round
Willenhall 2 Hemel 1 Tommy Rutherford (4), Dave Farrell (pen 56) – David Ness (25) Man of the Match – Kyle Perry (Willenhall)
Attendance – 748
Tony had high hopes that his side would return from the Wolverhampton area with a much-needed win under their belts but a thoroughly inept display put paid to that idea. For once the manager really laid into his players, dispensing with his usual words of encouragement and giving them a real blasting, such was his frustration.
Wednesday 29th Having had a glowing report back on Alex Rhodes Tony immediately made the Brentford man a contract offer only for the player to immediately reject the advance, indicating that under no circumstances would he consider a move to “a crummy outfit like Hemel”. Deeply disappointed as he was, Tony was at least in partial agreement with the player’s assessment of his team – their current form was truly diabolical and even at this relatively early point of the season they looked like pretty strong favourites for the drop.
Friday 1st Not only were Hemel suffering badly on the pitch, they were also haemorrhaging money off the pitch with the club’s losses running at a steady £25,000 a month, a frightening amount for a small outfit like theirs. Tony’s dream was fast turning into a nightmare with the spectre of both relegation and bankruptcy causing sleepless nights and stressful days.
Saturday 2nd Conference South Matchday 18
Farnborough 2 Hemel 3 Jim Wilson (13), Shane Hill (26) – Fabio Valenti (47), Scott Corbett (72), Tommy Hunter (90) Man of the Match – Tommy Hunter (Hemel)
Attendance – 688
To say that Tony was relieved to see his team gain their first league win in ten games was quite an understatement – a defeat against the bottom club would have been a disaster and the Hemel manager was over them moon with the result. Facing a 2-0 deficit at half time he focussed his half time team talk on the positives, encouraging his players and trying to instil a belief that they could recover the situation. The fact that Valenti scored so soon after the restart was significant as it gave the team a real boost just when they needed it. Having equalised through Scott Corbett Tony would have actually settled for the draw given their position at the break so Hunter’s stoppage-time winner was a real bonus. It came from a dead ball routine that they had practised in training, Corbett shaping to shoot but instead laying the ball off to the unmarked youngster for him to tuck the ball away with some confidence.
Saturday 9th Conference South Matchday 19
Hemel 3 Basingstoke 1 Alifie Kamara (24), Fabio Valenti (55), Scott Corbett (78) – Danny Black (o.g. 59) Man of the Match – Jon Hogg (Hemel)
Attendance – 308
A visit from the team just one place above them gave Hemel an opportunity to capitalise on their win of a week ago and gain some momentum in their search to move out of the relegation places. Tony was thrilled to see his team score three goals for the second match in succession and although the visitors shaded possession and had more scoring efforts the quality of Hemel’s opportunities made the difference. 16-year-old Hogg was showing a surprising maturity in central defence but at 6’4” over 14 ½ stone he had the physical attributes of an older player. Valenti seemed to be finding the net again after a 6-game scoreless run and Corbett had popped up with important goals in his last two matches. Striker Luke Vincent was unfortunate to have suffered a broken collar bone late in the game but as he was yet to find the net in 9 starts the manager did not view the injury as a major blow for the team.
Thursday 14th Tony had the novel experience of another club offering him a player when Cheltenham Town, newly promoted to League One last season, got in touch regarding veteran full back Jerry Gill. The 36-year-old was in his 4th season at the club and having been released by Leyton Orient as a teenager his 18 year playing career also included spells at Northampton, Birmingham, Yeovil and Bath. Neither Tony nor his coaching staff knew too much about the player but the club certainly needed cover at right back so the manager agreed to speak to Gill regarding a potential contract.
Tuesday 19th Tony’s negotiations with Gill reached a satisfactory conclusion, the defender agreeing to a substantial cut to his current wage of £850 a week to sign a two-year deal with Hemel.
Wednesday 20th Conference South Matchday 20
Welling 3 Hemel 0 Des Boateng (18), Danny Kedwell (37, 75) Man of the Match – Lawrie Wilson (Welling)
Attendance – 348
Tony was faced with some injury problems for the trip to 17th place Welling with keeper Fernandes and midfielder Kamara both missing. His team made a bright start and caught the home side on the break several times in the opening quarter of an hour but failed to capitalise and conceded the opening goal from a poorly defended free kick. The second goal was also marked down to poor defending as three Hemel defenders were around goalscorer Kedwell but he was still allowed to get his shot away. The visitors made a decent fist of the second half but still struggled to create clear cut chances and get back in the match. The final goal was also a result of a defensive error as youngster Hogg dallied with the ball in his own area and was disposed by Kedwell who then fired home. It was a dispiriting result after winning their last two matches and although they were out of the bottom three Tony felt that they had let slip a decent chance to open up a little daylight.
Tuesday 26th Conference South Matchday 21
Weston-super-Mare 0 Hemel 0
Man of the Match – Bobby Gibson (Hemel)
Attendance – 423
Considering that striker Valenti had to be replaced after just five minutes and substitute front man Rohan Byrne limped off with 20 minutes remaining, Tony was not too unhappy at gaining a point away from home. Having said that his team played well enough to take all three points and results elsewhere meant that they slipped back down the table in the relegation zone.
Thursday 30th Conference South Matchday 22
Hayes 2 Hemel 1 Kevin McKenna (19), Armand Wembakungu (40) – Danny Black (pen 35) Man of the Match – Armand Wembakungu (Hayes)
Attendance – 670
With a total of four strikers unavailable through injury the Hemel bench did not have a recognised forward for the trip to Hayes, their third road match in succession. In the circumstances there was a feeling of horrible inevitability when teenage forward Rohan Byrne was carried off the pitch after just 8 minutes and Tony was distressed to find out that the 17-year-old had suffered a broken leg. Midfielder Yoki was pushed up as an emergency striker with 16-year-old Colin Beckett coming off the bench and into midfield. Once again inexperience was at the root of their defeat – the first goal came as a result of young striker Tommy Hunter needlessly losing possession just inside his own half. Having clawed their way level from the penalty spot they then conceded again just five minutes later when the home side took a quick free kick as the Hemel wall was still getting organised.
Monday 1st Conference South Matchday 23
Hemel 3 Yeading 3 Jerry Gill (21), Danny Allen-Page (o.g. 57), Danny Black (75) – Shaun Doxey (46), Frannie Collin (84), Ray Joyce (86) Man of the Match – Frannie Collin (Yeading)
Attendance – 231
As a result of Hemel’s injury crisis veteran defender Jerry Gill was used as an emergency attacker and the 36-year-old was probably as surprised as anyone when he opened the scoring for the home side. His turn and shot was worthy of a specialist striker, especially considering the wet and slippery conditions underfoot. Hemel maintained their narrow advantage until just after the restart when the visitors squared the game. But Tony’s depleted team showed a lot of character and kept pressing, forcing Allen-Page into a wild back pass that caught the Yeading keeper in no man’s land and put the home side back in front. They stretched their lead further when Danny Black slotted home a peach of a free kick with quarter of an hour remaining. But the weather conditions were taking their toll and a tiring team conceded twice in two minutes in the closing stages to forfeit what would have been two very valuable points.
Saturday 6th Conference South Matchday 24
Salisbury 1 Hemel 0 Tommy Widdrington (pen 56) Man of the Match – Danny Black (Hemel)
Attendance – 1397
Statistically there was almost nothing to choose between Hemel and their more illustrious opponents – possession, corners, scoring attempts – and in the end it was veteran player/coach Widdrington’s penalty that made sure that the promotion contenders took all three points. Had young striker Tommy Hunter managed to get any of his five shots on target then it might have been a different story and with Basingstoke and Braintree both amongst the points Hemel lost just a little more ground in their relegation struggle.
Thursday 11th No sooner had Kamara and Sippetts got back into regular training than young winger Bobby Gibson was struck down by a cold making him unavailable for the weekend.
Saturday 13th Conference South Matchday 25
Hemel 1 Cambridge City 1 Tommy Hunter (60) – Lweis Baillie (54) Man of the Match – Lee Chafey (Cambridge City)
Attendance – 249
Whilst Tony was pleased to see his youngsters come back from a goal down to secure a point he felt that on balance this was a game that they could have won. 15th place City were the sort of team that Hemel had to start beating at home if they were to get enough points in the bank to escape from the bottom three. The visitor’s opener just had to be marked down to slack defending as they were rarely committing numbers to attack and the home defence should never have left an attacker totally free at the back post. But their reply was spirited as wing back Justin Gregory, deployed as a winger to replace Gibson, crossed well for Hunter to head home. However there was more injury news for Tony as right winger Ian Shields hobbled off near the end but thankfully his problem was relatively minor and he would be unlikely to miss more than one match.
Thursday 18th It continued to be one step forward and one step back – Valenti resumed full training but Sippetts had his recovery hampered by a dose of the flu and keeper Fernandes twisted his knee in training and would be out for a month.
Saturday 20th Conference South Matchday 26
Thurrock 3 Hemel 1 Chris Johnson (12), Kalam Mooniaruck (52), Martin Riley (pen 82) – Jerry Gill (90 +3) Man of the Match – Steve Gunby (Thurrock)
Attendance – 181
With morale really beginning to suffer Tony’s youngsters never looked like taking anything from this match and it was hard for the manager to see just how he might be able to lift the spirits of his players. They desperately needed to win a couple of games – not just for the points but also to give the players some self-confidence back.
Tuesday 23rd The experienced Scott Corbett had been the most effective and reliable performer for Hemel in this difficult season so the last thing that Tony needed to hear was that the 32-year-old had been injured, and seriously at that. Surgery would be required on a hip problem and that would probably rule him out for the rest of the season.
Saturday 27th Conference South Matchday 27
Hemel 0 Eastleigh 0
Man of the Match – Danny Black (Hemel)
Attendance – 175
This was a pretty decent result against a side sitting in the playoff positions. Tony sent his team out in a fairly defensive formation with instructions to get behind the ball and play a spoiling game. The loss of winger Bobby Gibson on 57 was a blow, the youngster picking up a second yellow card. But the team were in determined mood and hung on to the point, their task made a little easier when the numbers were evened up when Eastleigh forward Jamie Brown also received a second booking. The point, although welcome, did little to improve their league situation and they remained in 21st place on 21 points, four points from the relative safety of 19th.
Thursday 1st The month began with some good news for Tony as a new face turned at the Vauxhall Ground in the shape of experienced winger Joe Keith who had agreed a no-fee move from Brentford. With nine seasons of League One and Two experience behind him, mostly at Essex club Colchester, the Londoner offered some welcome maturity into the side and was a timely replacement for the suspended Gibson.
Saturday 3rd Conference South Matchday 28
Eastbourne Boro 4 Hemel 1 Allan Tait (17), Ben Austin (28), Scott Ramsay (43, 90) – Joe Keith (70) Man of the Match – Ben Austin (Eastbourne Boro)
Attendance – 965
Football can be a very cruel game sometimes as a brave Hemel side found out to their cost. Despite having more possession and more scoring attempts than their opponents they fell to a very harsh scoreline as the home side found the back of the net with every scoring effort that hit the target. Despite the final score Tony told the truth when he said to his players after the match that it was a fine effort, although the manager was far from convinced that they actually believed him. One positive was an excellent debut from new signing Keith who looked dangerous throughout and rounded off a good display with a very well taken goal.
Friday 9th The Hemel playing staff was boosted once more with the arrival of goalkeeper Bertrand Bossu, the 26-year-old Frenchman having been offered to Tony for free by Walsall.
Saturday 10th Conference South Matchday 29
Hemel 1 Havant & Waterlooville 1 Fabio Valenti (31) – Ben Sedgemore (78) Man of the Match – Neil Sharp (Havant & W)
Attendance – 177
There were some encouraging signs for Tony as his team fought hard for a rare point – Bossu had a good debut and made several key saves and Valenti scored his first goal of the year in his 3rd match back from injury. With a little more luck they might just have held on for a priceless win as Farnborough’s 3rd straight win moved them above Hemel and off the foot of the table.
Saturday 17th Conference South Matchday 30
Bedford 0 Hemel 0
Man of the Match – Danny Black (Hemel)
Attendance – 1323
A “backs against the wall” performance produced a welcome point at promotion chasing Bedford and with a bit more luck in front of goal the visitors could even have sneaked a win. The point took Hemel level with Farnborough but they remained bottom of the table on goal difference. With a dozen games left to play there was clearly still hope and it looked like being three from the bottom four to go down. Whether Tony’s team could manage to escape remained to be seen but the manager felt that with each point painfully gained there was a little more belief within the team that they could pull it off.
Wednesday 21st The squad continued to be reinforced and the arrival of 34-year-old Kevin Austin at last brought an experienced centre back to the Vauxhall Ground. The Trinidad & Tobago international had been offered to the club by Swansea and he had a wealth of experience that Tony hoped would add some defensive steel.
Saturday 24th Conference South Matchday 31
Hemel 0 Dorchester 1 Barry McConnell (pen 87) Man of the Match – Barry McConnell (Dorchester)
Attendance – 195
A penalty very late in the game robbed a brave Hemel side of another meagre point in the cruellest of ways. They had looked solid defensively up until that point with Bossu making some good saves and debutant Austin solid and reliable. The defeat, combined with wins for Basingstoke and Farnborough, left Hemel even further adrift at the foot of the Conference South.
Living The Dream 
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