I don't think nothing could sum up the wonderful world of Sunday football than the away side warming up taking random pot shots at their keeper whilst awaiting one of their players to turn up to make it to eleven players to start the game. One smokes a cigarette in the cold January air looking across at a Kimpton player nervously using two cones to pick up some dog pooh a highly irresponsible owner has left right in the middle of the pitch - people who do this need to have a good look at themselves as it's just bang out of order - CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG!
The game was scheduled to kick off at 10.30am but finally got underway at 10.43am with Almond Tree starting with ten players and the hosts having the luxury of multiple substitutes. Despite the sun shinning there was biting frosty wind blowing across the pitch made conditions very difficult and for it to feel below freezing for those brave (or mad!) enough to turn up and watch. The visitor's had eleven men at just gone 11am when a car arrived and the delayed player (Tanake Chitate) jumped out of the passenger seat and straight on to the pitch.
The home side took a very early lead with a header from just in front of the penalty spot following a looping cross from the right hand side. They were the better side in the first half and could of had a few more goals with one talking point being when Almond's keeper (Sean Glennon) saved a shot and appeared to have one hand on the ball with the Kimpton player challenging and winning the ball to place it into the net. The referee didn't give the goal as it looked like Glennon had control of the ball between his hand the playing surface albeit only for a second or so.
In the second half Almond Tree scored early on when a corner kick hit the lower part of the far post and bounced out into the penalty box for James 'Dougie' Douglas to place a rolling shot into the corner of the net.
It seemed to get colder as the match went on but Almond Tree warmed themselves up with two further goals to make it a 1-3 victory. It could have been different as the visitors cleared an effort off the line and Sean Glennon made a great save in the same passage of play.
Mark Gentleman bravely latched on to a through ball with the Kimpton keeper challenging him to make it 1-2 and Chitate got his reward for getting to the game with a well taken later goal which was a nicely placed shot into the corner of the net from just inside the box.
Almond Tree have now won ten and drawn one of their eleven league games played - their only dropped points came in a 2-2 draw against The Albion.
The favourites for the title have to be MBDA who overtook Kimpton to move into second place with a 11-0 demolition of Ashwell today. They have won all of their seven league games played so far. They travel to Kimpton next Sunday whilst Almond Tree are away at Letchworth United. Almond Tree are currently ten points ahead of MBDA with the two title rivals yet to face each other.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
JUST THE GOALS
It was an entertaining game between two good sides - I'm not sure the videos will get as many views as the last time I saw Kimpton play in November 2017 when Sean Norris scored THAT GOAL which has now been viewed across various social media sites over seven million times! Link - KIMPTON v FC HITCHIN
HITCHIN SUNDAY LEAGUE FIXTURES
Sunday 3rd February
George John Cup Round Three
Arlesey Town v GSS
Division One
FC Kings v Crown Stotfold
Two Chimneys v Hexton
Division Two
Engineers Arms v AC Malone
Old Red Lion v Stevenage Athletic
Shephall Wednesday v St Ippolyts Rangers
The Cock v FC Hitchin
Division Three
Kimpton v MBDA
Letchworth United v Almond Tree
Stotfold Lions v Ashwell
The Hogs Head v The Albion
