Those Were The Days; 3rd January 2009

[Les1949]

THOSE WERE THE DAYS
3rd January 2009

Football (Blue Square) Conference; South

Weston-super-Mare 0 HRBFC 3 (Wright 16’ 58’ 75’ pen) Att; 311

HRBFC;-
Matt Lovett; Marcello Fernandes, Ryan Lake, Orlando Jeffrey, John Scarborough, Dean Wells, Stuart Lake, Robbie Kember, Ben Wright (Steve Tyson, 85’), Lawrence Yaku (Shaun McAuley, 72’), Barrie Matthews (Francis Quarm, 75’).
Unused Subs; Graham Harper, Nana Badu.

Phone rings. ‘Les, can you get to the ground for a pitch inspection, we need to know whether we get the team on the coach or not’. So, with a “won’t be long” to Lesley, my wife, I drive to the ground from the Premier Inn Hotel in Weston. The sun is shining out of a clear blue sky but it is very cold. A local referee is there and together with the groundsman we walk all over the pitch. Decision made; the pitch will be fine by kick-off. A disbelieving Manager, Alan Devonshire, is told to get the lads on board, whilst I have a cup of tea before returning to a very unhappy wife! When the team arrived, the manager is very unhappy, but Referee, Mr Coggins, gives the go ahead. The Weston players really don’t fancy it and the Beavers run away with a 3-0 victory. In the 16th minute a mistake by Weston’s Ben Wells, allows Wright to score his first. Lovett then made two great saves, one from Marc McGregor and the second a flying leap to deny Ben Wells. Just before the hour, Wright scored his second when he cut in from the left and curled a shot wide of Ryan Northmore. With fifteen minutes left Ryan Lake was shoved over in the penalty area. Instead of taking the penalty himself, Lake gave the ball to Wright, who responded by tucking the ball away for his hat-trick.
Was Mr Devonshire happy at the end of 90 minutes, not really, I am of the opinion that even to this day he still thinks the game should never have been played!
Before Hampton’s next match, Ben Wright had left for pastures new – Peterborough United, one of the many clubs chasing his signature.


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