Hemsby welcomed league title favourites Gorleston Reserves to Waters Lane and were beaten 5-2.
The task was made harder following a late call-off and with the reserves being let down by a couple of players too, options were limited.
Gorleston were quick out of the blocks and in the fifth minute an under hit back pass was pounced on and played into the path of a striker for an easy finish. Things got worse a couple of minutes later when a ball came in from the wing and picked a striker out to make it 0-2.
The home side eventually started to ease their way into the game. Reece Hopper forced an excellent save from a free-kick and then the deficit was halved when Grant Osben followed up a shot which the keeper let slip.
The visitors didn’t allow this to affect them too much and forced an excellent save from Rui Goncalves before hitting the bar just before the break.
The second half was much the same as the first with both teams trying to play good football and more of the better chances were created by Gorleston although the lead wasn’t extended until the 57th minute, when the ball was given away cheaply and the ball was whipped across for another avoidable goal.
The crossbar came to Hemsby’s rescue again in the 70th minute and then it was the hosts who hit the woodwork when a mis-hit clearance from the keeper landed at Harlen Metcalfe’s feet and from 30 yards out he tried his luck.
With five minutes oremaining a player was given too much freedom and he managed to work his way to the penalty and score a fourth. Hemsby continued to fight for something and when Johnny Howell picked Kristian Sutton’s run out on the right, he took a couple of steps forward and hit an excellent shot from just inside the area, giving the goalkeeper no chance. With the last move of the game, Gorleston added a fifth when a cross picked out Hemsby old boy Adam Thompson and despite appearing to climb all over young Felix Andrews his header was allowed to stand.
Hemsby probably showed their opponents too much respect and changed their usual formation to try to stifle them instead of playing their normal attacking game, which played into such an experienced team’s hands.
Hemsby are at Redgate Rangers tomorrow.
Business World Travel man-of-the-match: Shannon Deeks.
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