So I finally get around to updating the blog. My only excuse for not doing it sooner? I've been busy. It's been a hectic couple of weeks since the New Year started but I'm not going to bore you with all of the details.
Our football experience has been mixed. Handsworth have played 3 games resulting in one win, one draw and one defeat.
The win came in the County Senior Cup when we beat Sheffield FC after a penalty shoot out.
Ian Robinsons match report:
https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/teams/126071/match-centre/0-5805517/report
My pictures
The draw was in a NCEL Premier League game against Bottesford Town when the game finished 3-3
Ian's report:
https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/teams/126071/match-centre/1-14094648/report
My pictures
The loss was last Saturday (13th Jan) when we lost by a single goal at Penistone Church, again in the NCEL Premier League.
Ian's report
https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/teams/126071/match-centre/1-14094662/report
My pictures
I've put the links there now so that you don't have to read the rest of this rubbish if you don't want to!! (But it would be good if you did! 😉 👍 😘)
The game v Sheffield was staged at Handsworth's ground at Oliver's Mount because the persistent rain over the preceding days meant it was more than likely that Sheffield's home pitch would be waterlogged. Being a cup fixture, it was important that the game got played to help ease fixture congestion if it got postponed again. The Ambers 4G pitch ensured it went ahead.
Handsworth played very well against a team from a division higher in a fairly even game. After 90 minutes, the score was 0-0 so the game went to a penalty shoot out which Handsworth won 5-4. The deciding penalty was scored by young Rion Arbuoin who had joined the game as a sub with about 15 minutes left. It was a lovely moment for the lad for 2 reasons.
First of all, he has been out of the 1st team squad for 6 months through injury and this was his first appearance since he got hurt. Secondly, last season Handsworth lost a penalty shoot out against Winterton when Rion's penalty was disallowed in very controversial circumstances. The ref initially allowed the penalty then changed his mind and decided that Rion had "double-kicked" the ball. Some very nasty scenes followed as the players left the pitch with some fans involved in the fracas.
The huge grin on the lad's face when he scored the winner against Sheffield was amazing and to be honest, it was very brave of him to put himself in the frame like he did.
Final comment on this game? The performance of the match officials was exemplary. Referee Danny Guest and his two assistants never put a foot wrong. Wish they could ref us every week!
Three days later, we witnessed a contrasting performance by the match officials in the 3-3 draw with Bottesford Town. The referee seemed determined to show everybody that he was in charge. He awarded Bottesford two penalties, at least one of which was highly debatable (even the Bottesford players seemed surprised!).
The ref then sent 2 Handsworth players to the sin bin in the space of 3 minutes as they protested the award of the second penalty. It's also the first time I've heard of an assistant ref swearing at a couple of Handsworth spectators, telling them to shut their mouths (expletive deleted) as they reacted to the penalty award!
In the dying minutes of the game, Handsworth number 5, Matt Reay, was red-carded when he collided with the Bottesford keeper as both tried to win a dropping ball. Matt slipped as he moved in and the keeper fell on top of him. (Matt was one of the two players sin-binned earlier in the game.) The keeper needed no physio treatment and wasn't badly hurt but the ref decided to display his power once again.
Handsworth did have chances to make the game safe the most notable of which was when Leon Howarth's penalty kick beat the keeper but hit the base of the post. Score was 3-1 at that point but hey, I keep saying it - that's football.
I had a bad day photography wise, missing clear shots of all 3 Handsworth goals. I'd moved into the small terraced stand to get out of a rain shower. A guy stood directly in front of the camera as Mitch Dunne scored The Ambers second - the goal of the game. In my haste to get around the guy blocking me, I stumbled against an iron stanchion and took a hefty chunk out of my left leg. I'm counting it as my first ever footballing injury!
We then moved on to a very cold Penistone Church on Saturday 13th January. The teams were pretty close in terms of recent form. Handsworth still had some player availability issues and weren't helped by the suspension of Matt Reay following his red card the previous Saturday.
The Ambers gave a good account of themselves and as the game progressed, it looked increasingly likely that one goal would settle it. That happened when Penistone pounced on a defensive error and scored the winner in the 68th minute. Despite some heavy Handsworth pressure in the final 15 minutes, we headed home with nothing but feelings of what might have been.
It was a bit of a stop start affair with some niggling fouls and yet more referee interventions which caused protests and disbelief amongst players and fans. It was very concerning in the last few seconds when Leon Howarth took an elbow to the head and went down in a heap. The referee completely ignored the incident and played on for maybe 20 or 30 seconds then blew the final whistle.
He never checked if Leon was OK but instead joined his assistants to receive the handshakes of the departing players. Leon, clearly dazed, left the pitch with the physio and Handsworth players helping him after the officials had gone to the changing rooms.
Next game is at Oliver's Mount against another of the high flyers in the division when Albion Sports visit. Albion are in the play-off places despite having a 3-point deduction and it'll be another tough one. It's true that there are no easy games!
I'll not bore you with details of how my computer crashed, meaning system reinstallation and files recovery had to be completed but let me tell you, it was a real pain in the backside!! Took 2.1/2 days to get everything back up and running! Ain't technology wonderful!
Hopefully, the next entry on Norton Yer Life will be shorter and again, "hopefully", it will follow the Albion Sports game next Saturday. Unless of course, something really incredible happens but we're talking Ken at Norton Towers here so "incredible" is highly unlikely!!
😉
See Yer!!
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