20/09/2026
Result: Hoddesdon Town Hawks 0 - 0 Thorley Manor Blacks
Good afternoon, birdwatchers!
Now, some of you turned up today expecting to watch the Hawks soar, swoop and glide around the pitch, just as they have done so many times before. What you may have witnessed today, however, were chickens — flapping their wings, pecking at the ball, running around in all directions and, at times, with no one quite knowing what to do next! Unfortunately, it played right into Thorley Manor’s hands.
The visitors were the bigger team on the pitch and made their intentions clear from the start. They wanted to play the long-ball game, getting the ball up to their front men and using their size and strength to barge their way towards goal. Rather than taking control of the game, calmly moving the ball around and looking to thread passes through on the floor, the Hawks unfortunately got drawn into playing the same way.
The problem? Thorley Manor were better at it.
They managed to put the Hawks under pressure with their direct approach and were unlucky not to take the lead, hitting the crossbar twice. The Hawks struggled to find their usual rhythm and, at times, looked more like a flock of chickens than the well-organised Hawks we know they can be!
Brace yourselves, birdwatchers… here come the negatives!
The Hawks repeatedly gravitated towards the ball and lost their shape, while the midfield struggled to control possession. Too often, long balls were allowed to bounce rather than being attacked, and the forwards found it difficult to string together more than two passes. As a result, the Hawks struggled to build attacks and put together the flowing football that has served them so well in previous games.
But there were positives.
Most importantly, the Hawks never lost the game and kept battling until the final whistle. And leading the way was our Man of the Match, HM.
HM was a giant at the back, producing another impressive defensive performance. He is one of those players who seems to sense danger before it arrives, positioning himself intelligently and getting himself in the right place to s***f out opposition attacks. He did exactly that time and again today and was a major reason the Hawks kept Thorley Manor at bay.
It’s still early days in the season, and there is plenty of time for the Hawks to improve. However, today highlighted some areas that need attention on the training ground: positional awareness, controlling the ball from long kicks, maintaining our shape and showing positive aggression when challenging for the ball.
The teams are getting bigger, stronger and more physical.
So, Hawks, it’s time to choose…
Fight or flight?
Because if you’re going to be a Hawk, you’d better start acting like one!
