Chawn Hill 3 Monyhull 0

After what was by all accounts a poor performance last week would there be a return to comedy gold with this weeks match report as assistant manager Langston returned to the bench and to match reporting duties.

Probably not since for once it wasn’t too painful to be sitting on the bench thinking I could do better than all of them, as for the first time in ages everyone was playing well and I certainly couldn’t have done better than Webber in goal. If we played like that I every week I might even invest in a monyhull top to warm the bench in. Not that I’m intending to stay on the bench.

It was a pleasantly warm, sunny morning as the hull arrived at a large park near Merry Hill. My sat nav decided it would take me up a Holloway right next to the centre of Lye, who would have thought that there would be an ancient sunken track in such a busy area. Would the long and winding road be a metaphor for the hulls progress, or the start of another article full of song titles. Or even a chance to suggest that as we can’t win any games, can we clock up as many obscure stats as possible. How about best qualified centre back partnership when I get my spot back off Dave now that Rob has got his masters as well?

So, to the match. Gaffer Millist opted to pack the midfield with Madden, Reeson and Burke with Rainbow and Tom Hales providing width. The back four consisted of Luke, Big Ron, the lumbering man mountain in the heart of the hull defence this week was Dave, and in fact it was a lumbering man mountain of the match performance from the man more comfortable in his rocking chair who should be credited for a fine performance of shouting, demanding to take every free kick and throw in and flirting with the lineswoman. He was pretty solid in defence as well. Nick completed the defence. Millist played as the lone striker despite many offers of assistance.

In a creditable first half the hull matched everything Chawn had to throw at them. The packed midfield held its own through most of the half before the Chawn captain began to dominate towards half time. Tom and Aaron clearly had the beating of their full backs, but the hull seemed unable to get the ball out to them enough. When they did the cross was cut out by the Chawn defence.

Despite some indecisiveness at the back the hull were looking comfortable and with few chances either way were good value for the nil nil half time score. Keeper Webber was looking secure, perhaps inviting comparison with illustrious keepers of the past. Unfortunately he has banned me from comparisons with other keepers with dodgy hairstyles so I will go for one cap wonder William Faulke (1874-1916) and his wonderfully alliterative nickname.

With the whole team playing well there was no need for changes and the hull were looking to push on during the second half. But ten minutes in the hulls bubble of optimism was popped as a ball in from the left was half cleared and with the whole defence having been sucked across to cover there was room on the right for a Chawn player to push the ball into the bottom right corner.

As things settled down, assistant manager Langston swapped Madden for Conlon to try and get the ball out to the wingers. There were chances, an undefendable corner from Hales saw four hull players sliding in on the back post but none were able to get the vital touch. Some excellent chest control from Millist saw him between the two centre halves but with his little legs racing he was unable to get enough height on the ball to lob the keeper. Then another ball in saw the hull two down, and Millist demanded a change at full back as Pritchard lost his composure and looked a candidate for a red card. Ignoring the other three full backs on the bench Langston snr opted to bring himself on because he could. And because of his experience, left foot, calmness, unlikelihood of being caught too far up field and ability to stop a winger getting a cross in. But mainly just because he could.

But though the hull kept battling right to the end, Chawn got a third from a corner from the left where the attacker just out jumped his marker.

Another defeat, but this time everyone could hold their head up at the end and say they deserved their shirt