On Saturday, Union played their final match of the 23/24 season, facing a team that they have played plenty of games against with mixed fortunes. With Hanham Abbotonians Reserves still with a chance of promotion, the depleted Union squad were hoping to end the season on a high and try to upset the party…

Line Up:
With this being a rescheduled fixture, most of the squad had already made holiday plans and with that and various injuries, the gaffer had slim pickings and had to draft in the trusty Ash Jones from his early retirement and register long standing sponsor and previous gaffer Chris Wolland for a cameo role!

Mat in goal, Alex and Callum fullbacks, Tyler and Ed at Centre back, Tim Nick and Dave in midfield, Daryl and Ash in the wide forward positions and Harry, on his final appearance, up top. Lonely on the bench was Chris.

First half:
The gaffer’s message in the changing room was to go out, enjoy it and stick together until the final whistle. With the team having nothing to lose, the plan was to try and finish on a high and end the season confidently.
As always against this Hanham side, the game started a bit cagey with no real build up and just plenty of high balls and scrappy play without either side troubling the other and especially Union struggling to make anything stick in the final third. The deadlock was broken on 8 minutes when a hopeful clearance from the opposition goalkeeper was misjudged in the air and Hanhams tricky forward latched onto it before placing the ball past the on-rushing Mat in goal. 1-0 Hanham out of nowhere. Union were beginning to get some good link up play through midfield but again they couldn’t seem to get anything up top to stick and possession was given back to Hanham way too easy. Hanhams No. 10 was causing all sorts of issues in the Union backline, cleverly pulling wide and making good runs in behind and it was 1 of these attacks that brought the second goal on 18 minutes and suddenly the game was getting away from the Union players. 2-0 Hanham. Before Union knew it, they were 3 down on the half hour mark after some clever wing play and their No.10 got his hattie with a superb half volley from the edge of the box and then 4-0 after 36 minutes after conceding from a corner. Union squad managed to get to the interval without any more goals conceded but they had a huge hill to climb if they wanted anything from the game. HT 4-0 Hanham

Second half:
The mood of the team at HT was surprisingly buoyant. With the squad already knowing it would be tough with a small squad, they just wanted to get through the game without it being any higher of a scoreline. The gaffer’s message was to go out, play your game, the Union way and see where we end up. The opposition will be thinking its game over, so there could be a chance to capitalise as long as we stay professional and do the right things.

Chris was brought on at RB to play a cameo role and get some minutes, and what a change it turned out to be! Union started the second half well, and with Hanham making changes and seeming a bit disjointed, the Union squad were determined to capitalise and at least win the half. The visitors enjoyed good possession in the first 10 minutes of the half and had a couple of good chances to reduce the deficit, but couldn’t get the ball over the line. It was going to take something special…. And you can always rely on Tim to step up and deliver. On 54 minutes, the ball dropped to Nick in midfield who laid off the ball to Tim only for him to spot the keeper off his line and proceeded to launch a 40-yard screamer which the Hanham stopper couldn’t get near. 4-1 Hanham and the Union squad with their tales up! Surely not? The union players were playing with a real sense of freedom and with nothing to lose it seemed like they were going to do everything they could to get back in the game and chance after chance was going begging. On 58 minutes Union pulled another back. After some neat work in and around the box, Harry laid the ball to Daryl who shifted the ball onto his deadly left foot, and he created a yard of space to hit a low drive past the hapless Hanham Keeper. 4-2 Hanham and plenty of time remaining! The Hanham players were starting to lose it a little with arguments on and off the field which Union were determined to capitalise on. The game was being played in the Hanham’s half of the pitch and the Union squad were pushing but despite hitting the bar and the post the ball just wouldn’t go in the goal with Hanham’s defence on the ropes. The game was becoming scrappy with desperation kicking in for both teams and there were lots of 50/50’s going the way of Union who were on the ascendance. On 74 minutes Union got their third goal. After some good pressing from Dave, the ball fell to skipper Nick 25 yards out, and the midfielder hit a shot which the opposition keeper misjudged, and it flew into the top corner! 4-3 and with 15 minutes left, Union believed! The Union players were pushing for the equaliser but fair play to Hanham for keeping everything out. Union threw everything at the opposition but the reward for an excellent 2nd 45 minutes just wouldn’t come. FT 4-3 Hanham, what a game of football to watch!

Unions season ends in defeat, but the final 45 minutes was fantastic to watch, and it showed that the team had come a long way. Despite being 4-0 down with a depleted squad, those present dug in and fought back with spirit and determination and on another day they get the reward the performance deserved.

There were some outstanding performances on the day with players like Ed, Tim, Alex and Callum playing in unfamiliar roles, but the player of the match was given to 2 players who gave the energy in midfield for 90 minutes and almost helped their team grab an equaliser, Dave and skipper Nick. Well done all.

Thank you to the opposition and good luck with your promotion push, to the referee for a fair game and to our loyal and ever-present supporters, who have stuck with the team in what has been a topsy-turvy 8 months.

For the last time this season, Up the Union!