28 August 2008
Behind-the-scenes at The Walks

MARK HEARLE

Five games, five draws which means that we are still looking for that vital first win of the season.

If you read these ramblings last week you may remember me saying I had a feeling that last weekend that win was going to come. Well, I don't know what the feeling was but mystic Mark was wrong on that hunch! That could also explain why I only managed a pathetic one number on last week's rollover lottery. I genuinely felt that we would have more than enough to beat Hinckley on Monday afternoon but that didn't work out and it was a well below par showing.

The weekend had started so well though. Saturday morning dawned with a blue sky and a strange bright object in the sky which we don't see all that often. Alfreton is about the shortest league trip we have this season of about 190 miles there and back. That meant leaving the house around 10:30am which gave me the chance to put the car through the car wash in town and do a few odd jobs at home.

It was a good journey with the traffic snarled up going in the opposite direction which was a result. We took with us a cargo of footballs for the team to use in the warm up prior to kick off. I hasten to add these were deflated as I didn't fancy that job of blowing them up although some would say I have more than enough hot air to be able to manage it easily! The only hold up we did have were two tractors pulling trailer loads of straw which was a bit like home at this time of year.

On arrival at the Impact Arena I searched out Roger West from BBC radio Derby who was covering the match for the local station there. I was doing the same for local radio but for the first time in ages I was able to use the ISDN kit as Alfreton had the correct set up so it could be used. You may well have seen me carrying this big grey case which looks as if it contains a power drill inside the Walks from time to time.

Well, what it does contain is a small mixing desk and an assortment of microphones and cable which, when rigged up, provide a top quality of sound which is a 100 times better than the mobile that I usually have to use. I found Roger and he showed me my vantage point for the afternoon which was ok. I felt we put on a good showing and with just a little bit of luck could have won had it not have been for a referee who was determined to be the star of the show. That game was never a six booking and a sending off one but that's how many cards were dished out. Our skipper Greg Crane was sent off but how the Alfreton player stayed on after raising his arms to Craney I will never know. So much for the respect campaign!

After a family Sunday and lunch out to celebrate my brother's birthday it was back into football mode on Monday with that visit of Hinckley to the Walks. I think that was the first time we had been at home on an August Bank Holiday Monday for a few seasons which I must admit made a nice change. The weather was again good which encouraged our biggest gate of the season to date (1,326) to turn out and support us. What a shame that we chose to turn in probably our worst display of the year so far. We had far too many players out of form on the day and with the best will in the world we did not deserve to win that match. Simple as. We got out of jail with a penalty but instead of kicking on and going for it we looked, at times, slow and lacking in ideas.

Don't be surprised to see some new faces involved in the not too distant future. It's true that we are still unbeaten but we must start turning some of these draws into wins quickly.

This weekend we are on the road again with a trip to Stalybridge Celtic. That is followed up with another away day at Stafford Rangers on Tuesday night (September 2nd).

Next time I will tell you why I may be missing from some of the away games over the next few weeks and why the Linnets will be making history in Wisbech very soon.

Mark