FOREST GREEN boss David Hockaday and Braintree counterpart Alan Devonshire had differing views of last week’s Skrill Premier game at Cressing Road.
“We got dragged into a game we shouldn’t be playing,” Hockaday said. “We don’t want to fight, we want to play.”
Devonshire hit back at what he called “sour grapes”, after Hockaday had told his players before the game they would need the right attitude if they were to not get “bullied and kicked off the park”, although the Rovers boss did add: “Not in a horrible way though!”
Devonshire said after the sides’ 1-1 draw: “We are a small team, both in stature and in size of the squad, so that isn’t us. We want to play football but we don’t have the money of some of the other teams. His two strikers probably cost the same as my entire team.”
I wasn’t at the game, and I’ve not seen either team this season. But in my experience of watching both regularly over the last two years, Braintree have a bit of what Forest Green have lacked. And it’s not all to do with physicality.
Devonshire has some fine technical footballers, not least left-back Sam Habergham, central midfielder Kenny Davis, winger James Mulley and striker Dan Holman.
I’ve seen them mix it, and I’ve seen them completely outplay teams. But when they get a chance to shoot, they pull the trigger. When the opportunity to cross the ball arises, they stick it in the mixer and let the hunger of a grass-roots graduate like Sean Marks do the rest.
They do things with conviction, and effectively within the constraints of having part-time players and one of the lowest playing budgets in Non-League’s top-flight.
Now, there will probably be some Prozone stats that prove me wrong and if so, I apologise, but when I saw Forest Green last season, I was always waiting for the next instalment.
Their patient, intricate triangle passing in midfield was good viewing, but it was like an episode of EastEnders – the ‘der, der, der’ would interrupt just as you were getting to the good bit.
Ironically I picked out the signing of striker Danny Wright as their most significant of a big-name laden summer. That was because the ex-Histon man would give the footballers of Forest Green the bite that Braintree had last season to beat Grimsby, Luton, Mansfield and Rovers, who finished a point and one place behind the Essex club, remember.
Considering the money they’ve spent and the quality and size of squad they’ve assembled, I would be hugely surprised if we were to see a repeat this time around.
But just to be sure, Rovers could do much worse than actually borrowing a leaf out of the Braintree book.
OLD FOE SIMON STILL LEAVES DEFENCES S-MARTIN’
TALKING of target men not afraid to put themselves around, I went down to my old club Hitchin Town‘s training session on Thursday and caught up with Simon Martin, their summer signing after what seems like his tenth departure from St Albans!
Our battles as centre-half and centre-forward date back to the late 1990s, when he was playing for Hucknall Town while at university in Nottingham, and I was making my way at neighbours Arnold.
He returned home at the end of his studies in 2000 to sign for St Albans, at the same time as I moved south and signed for Sutton United.
Rumbles then resumed in the Ryman Premier, before Martin went onto play for the likes of Thurrock, Hayes & Yeading and Wealdstone.
Canaries boss Mark Burke tells me Martin’s done a great job so far in their impressive start to the Calor Premier campaign, adding to the buzz his newly-assembled squad has generated at Top Field.
The fact he spent more time on the sidelines with the physio on Thursday meant that at 34, he’s showing his age – and that this 35-year-old ex-centre-half could get closer to him than I ever managed back in the day!
KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN
TWO things to look and listen out for, because there is not enough room to do them justice here.
1. Maidstone United co-owner Oliver Ash’s open letter to FA chairman Greg Dyke on pleading for 3G pitches to be allowed above Step 3, and compensation for players that grass-roots clubs produce but cannot contract due to educational status, like Chris Smalling (maidstoneunited.blogspot.co.uk).
2. The Non-League Show’s new weekly slot for Atherton Collieries‘ secretary Emil Anderson, who speaks with passion for the ‘Colls’ and tells how, with the whole board invited to a wedding, they drafted in a 10-strong shadow committee to represent the club at a recent FA Cup tie (BBC Radio 5 Live).
I’M ONE TO BE AVOIDED ON PREMIER GOAL TRAIL
IF YOU see me tweet that I’m going to be at your club’s next game, you’re safe to assume there’s not going to be much for me to write about – and for you to shout about.
Before yesterday’s Cambridge v Gateshead game, I’d reported on four Skrill Premier matches so far this term and seen more games with a red card in them than I have matches featuring goals!
A family holiday meant that my campaign kicked off a fortnight late, but at Cambridge v Lincoln I witnessed one goal and one red.
Welling v Salisbury was next – a goalless afternoon with one dismissal.
Then came a relative goal-fest at Grimsby, where I watched Nuneaton Town win 2-1 with the hosts’ Aswad Thomas showering before half-time.
At least last week’s live TV clash between Luton and the Mariners ended 11-all – though predictably that was only in player number, and sadly not scoreline.
That, as is the norm with John Still’s obdurate Hatters and my luck at the minute, was 0-0.
How we could have done with some of the scoring substance that Bungay Town have shown.
The Suffolk side had a remarkable 17 different scorers in their opening six matches – proving great value for the 5p admission each spectator was paid for turning up on one of the most eye-catching stunts of Non-League Day!
