Monyhull 1 Maple Leaf 2

Having run the champions Chawn Hill close on Saturday the 'hull were confident of picking up at least a much needed point against mid table Maple Leaf.

Gaffer Millist was at his enigmatic best, making only one change from a fighting performance last time out, apart from on the right side of the penalty area (see previous match report), Langston on the left side of the central defence making way for Williams.

The 'hull should have been alerted to future problems when for the first time the ref failed to ask Reeson to prove he was old enough to play, and the linesman was spotted asking the posts and corner flags to show him their studs.

The match got of to a quiet start, neither team being able to build an effective attack, the hull defence standing firm against Maple Leafs direct play, but in attack unable to string more than a couple of passes together.

The hull almost took the lead for the second game running as the Maple Leaf keeper made a hull-esque hash of a simple clearance, missing it completely and turned to watch it trickle toward the goal. Hales, the only 'hull player with the pace to get to the ball was after it like Dave after a pie, and slid in to try and turn the ball home before it rolled wide. Completing the comedy moment, the ball hit the post and rolled back to a grateful keeper.

The let off seemed to wake up Maple Leaf, and from an attack O’Saye got a block in from the first shot, but with no-one covering him Maple Leaf were able to score from the rebound.

With half time approaching the hull went to pieces, heads went down, no one held their  position and no one could make a simple pass. Maple Leaf looked like they could score whenever they wanted. In the end they chose to get their second from a long throw, headed on, which looped over the heads of Estridge and O’Shea into the net.

Assistant Manager Langston, reminiscent of Churchill, filled the hull with a confidence and resolve to believe they could get back into the match, and as the second half wore on and Langston replaced Mad Dog with Shannon, changing to a 4-4-2 formation and deciding to worry Maple Leaf with pace up front. The ploy began to work as for the first time Maple Leaf were looking stretched (???????? - JM). To emphasise the plan Langston brought himself on for Millist, slotting in at left back to free Rainbow to attack.
Again the plan worked as with play stretched Burke, in a fine run of goalscoring form found space to hit a sweet left foot drive into the net, and the hull were back in it.

Millist made a last throw of the dice bringing on Dolloway to hold play up for Willets with Hales dropping to the wing, and with minutes to go went all out for the equaliser moving O’Saye up and leaving a back three, relatively untroubled with all the pressure coming from the hull.

And it worked as from half way Williams took an audacious shot that beat the keeper all ends up and rippled the back of the net before the keeper clawed it back out.

It was hull ecstasy as the hull mobbed Williams, who would have though 8 players could fit round the cuddly man mountain so easily? But Maple Leaf were playing on, somehow the ref and linesman had failed to spot the billowing net and awarded nothing. Goal line technology anyone? or in the wise words of, well, myself, as Webber reminded me after the game. We are pretty poor players, so we can’t expect premier league refs.

So did the ref cost us a point and a move off the foot of the table? Not really, three bits of dreadful defending on Saturday after a very generously awarded penalty cost us three points then, and conceding 2 goals cost us this time.

Back to back games starting on Saturday against Charlemont are the hulls last hope of avoiding the wooden spoon.