Grinding

The opening NFA Q1 League match of the season against Kapanga had given us a big boost. Despite a late equaliser which denied us all three points, the performance was a total transformation from the unpredictable high-scoring mess which plagued pre-season.

As the matches passed, it was clear that this was a continuing trend. In our first eight matches, neither side managed to score more than a single goal. The results in full, with Hampton's score first, were: 1-1, 1-1, 0-1, 1-1, 1-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1.

And as the scorelines suggest, they were all tight affairs, showing that Hampton are fast becoming a highly-competitive side. Frustratingly, our second game of the season was a carbon copy of the Kapanga game; Luton Shelton fired us into an early lead, but we conceded a 90th minute equaliser.

It was a trend which seemed to be repeated elsewhere in the league; Conklin Forks manager, Tim Conklin, was bemoaning the same problem. Competition was fierce, and we were still struggling to keep our heads above the water - given the quality of our performances, it felt harsh that we sat in mid-table with only ten points from eight matches.

Click below for a full run-down of Hampton's first ten matches of the league season.