CROWS BLOG: FAMILY AFFAIR
CROWS BLOG: FAMILY AFFAIR
Hi guys.
Reporting in after Saturday’s FA Cup win over local rivals Hertford Town. 3-0 was the scoreline but that’s probably not a true reflection of an evenly fought contest. To be honest with you, I didn’t really want us to draw Hertford in the FA Cup as they are a team that I didn’t want to play against for personal reasons. The reason being is that my daughter’s boyfriend, Pat Sinfield, is on the staff at Hertford and obviously it would have been nice to keep both teams in the Cup but the Cup draw has no regard for sentiment and we had to play them.
Also, to add to the reason stated above, Hertford Town suffered appalling preparations which saw their last 2 games abandoned and postponed because of a major scare to one of their players, Potchu Mendes Calucane. I’m not privy to all of the details but Potchu had a serious cardiac seizure on the pitch at AFC Dunstable. Apparently, all the help and assistance he received was superb and saved his life – so well done to all. Potchu is now facing a long time off work and sport so if anyone is feeling charitable then please donae to his GoFundMe page.
I know that our players have already contributed and I will also be doing so. Good luck mate and here’s to a full recovery!
So now you know my background to Saturday’s game and the family ‘battle’ for bragging rights. I now have those bragging rights but truthfully Hertford Town gave us so many problems that their players and staff can, and should, be very proud of their achievements.
The main difference between the two sides was, for me, the quality of Matt Bateman’s finishing. All 3 of his goals were taken with a calmness and accuracy that we are looking for week in week out. On Saturday Matt’s finishing was ‘top drawer’ and probably made the difference between the two sides. For us to secure a clean sheet on Saturday and not give away any ‘silly’ goals was another bonus.
I’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to our travelling support who made for a good atmosphere. It’s great to see our away support growing – long may it continue!
Obviously, a cup run is important for all non-league clubs, for a variety of reasons, and we are no different. Obviously, we would have liked a home draw in the 2nd Qualifying Round but the draw decided otherwise. We will face Hemel Hempstead Town away in the next round in a couple of weeks’ time. As I’m sure you are aware there are a number of links and backstories between ourselves and Hemel and so it’s sure to be a fiercely fought cup tie and one that I know our staff and players are looking forward to.
And now onto injuries…we have our fair share of injuries at the moment but have dealt with this well so far. I’ve said on numerous occasions that the group and squad are the most important and it’s important that those who step in perform well. The subs who came on on Saturday performed very well and they will probably have more game time on Tuesday when we visit Ware in the Herts Senior cup. Tuesday will be a great opportunity to get some first-teamers up to speed and to try out a few of our ‘fringe’ lads. You can expect to possibly see a different line-up on Tuesday night.
On Saturday it’s back to League action when we host Alvechurch. Hopefully, by then we’ll have a few more players back to choose from but I’m not moaning. I’ve been in football long enough to know that injuries are part and parcel of the game and it’s how you react and deal with them that matters.
So, for us right now it seems a positive time – long may that continue – but just like any other year, it will all be based on results.
Once again, thanks for supporting us Crows!
Cheers,
Steve C
The CROWS BLOG is kindly sponsored by THE OLD BULL INN, a traditional 16th-century inn, located at 56 High Street, Royston, SG8 9AW and is the perfect place for both rest and rejuvenation. Whether you are staying in one of their comfortable en-suite rooms, cosying up around the open fire with a drink, dining in their restaurant or hosting an event in one of their function rooms The Old Bull Inn is sure to exceed your expectations!
