Hersham Sports and Social Vets played out a keenly fought draw with fellow high fliers MMB on 3 November. Simon Chang and Paul Deacon were on target as Hersham (again) came from behind to earn a deserved share of the points.

“Carnage” proclaimed Steve Reilly to the BBC’s Football Focus. “That traffic was a total nightmare. I think I’m going to have to go to the Chairman to ask him to invest in a private jet for the side. Given the bumper attendances we’ve been having at the Colditz of late, there’s got to be plenty of money in the bank”.

Maybe it was the queues on Walton Bridge that led Hersham once again to start slowly, or maybe it was simply a bit of bad luck. 10 minutes in and the visitors were doing ok, but a pinpoint Manni Barreiro strike in to the corner of his own net blew the wind totally out of their sails. MMB took control and it wasn’t long before they were 2-0 up and in control of things.

The pitch, however, was something of a leveller, and as half-time beckoned Hersham slowly found their way back in to the game. Paul Deacon held the ball up well, Chris Purdue covered miles in the middle of the park and Martin Lawton and Barreiro got a grip of things at the back. All Hersham needed now was a goal to get properly back in to things.

And, that goal came with the last kick of the half as Simon Chang popped up from nowhere to calmly stroke the ball in to the far corner. Given that the last time Chang scored Clement Attlee was Prime Minister, it’s clear that whoever had money on the ever-reliable full-back as first goalscorer today would almost certainly have been able to retire on the proceeds.

MMB nonetheless bounced back well and early in the second half they had the better of things. They hit the post once and Steve Crozier had to be alert to several dangerous situations. The appearance of Geoff Stothert – just an hour or so late arriving at the ground – nonetheless helped Hersham keep the ball a bit better in the middle of the park, whilst Jay Mulcahy came ever more in to the game on the right.

Once Hersham had seen off the MMB onslaught the tide began to turn. Steve Sparkes gave the visitors a bit of width, Simon Crabb got himself in some good positions and eventually the equaliser came; Paul Deacon slotting home a penalty after he himself had been fouled.

From that point on, Hersham had the better of things. Crabb did his best to repeat Ricky Villa’s 1981 cup final goal only for the post to deny him. Deacon also came close to edging Hersham ahead, whilst Chris Purdue kept ploughing in to the box with intent.

Ultimately, however, the deciding strike wouldn’t come and both sides had to settle for a draw. In truth, probably the right result.

“It wasn’t the greatest game you’ll ever see” mused Reilly to ESPN after the game “but we’ll certainly take a point. It was a case of two evenly matched sides going toe to toe”.

Reilly also broke another piece of news when speaking to MoTD later that night. “I’ve also taken the decision to nominate Dave Symonds as Geoff Stothert’s Friday night chaperone. Stothert’s inability to get home safely on a Friday night is becoming an occupational hazard. Next week he’s subsequently condemned to drinking chocolate martinis in Symonds’s hot tub”. Whether Symonds’s good lady wife is aware of these new arrangements is not yet known.

Team - Crozier, Chang, Barreiro, Lawton, Livey, Hough, Symonds, Purdue, Fogden, Page, Crabb.

Subs (all used) - Deacon, Stothert, Sparkes, Herd, Mulcahy

Hersham Sports & Social FC Vets

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