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An early start this morning - well, setting off from home at 7.45 am is early on a Sunday, especially when the clocks have just gone forward - for the girls' away game with Reading Reserves, which was being played in the Oxfordshire village of Woodcote.
The girl in The Bagel Factory at Reading station only charged me £3.87 for two bagels, the same two which normally cost me close to a fiver at Waterloo. Going by the receipt, it looks like there was a cheap 'breakfast' rate for buying two at that time of the morning. Not bad.
Leaving the station to wait for the bus to Woodcote I passed the Three Guineas pub, which advertised great food, lots of fun and Irish music. My budget wouldn't have extended to a pub meal on the way home, so made a mental note to check the place out if I ever visit Reading again.
Arrived at Woodcote Rec just after 12 noon and spotted three guys in Reading FC In The Community tracksuit tops taking goalposts out of a shed. I asked them if the women's game was there this afternoon and they said yes. Across the road from the Rec stood the Red Lion, with billboards promising the best pub grub in Woodcote, but I only had enough cash on me for something to eat on the way home so, with a wistful glance at the pub, I sat down on a bench to read Non-League Today.
At 12.30 I saw people in the distance beginning to get out of cars next to the changing room block and decided to go over in case it was the Hawk party (though I wasn't absolutely sure as there was a christening party going on in the same building). On my way round the edge of the Rec someone tapped on the window of the Red Lion - it was Rob, Dick and Trevor waving me in.
They congratulated me on finding this remote rural venue, and Trevor bought me a pint of Greene King IPA. After a little while they all drove off to the village Somerfield to buy after-match grub, leaving me alone with my pint and Non-League Today until, minutes later, WAGs Becky, Bernadette and Rosie arrived and we all chatted until 15 minutes before kick-off, when I made my way over to pitchside.
After just a few minutes Reading took the lead with a shot from close range. As they continued to have the better of the opening half-hour, while I continued to cheer our girls on as heartily as ever, inside I was thinking "Bollocks, we're stuck in this shite division again for next season." Soon after the goal Penny and Chantelle both jumped for a header, and Chantelle landed on Penny's ankle with a sickening crack. Penny gamely played on for a few minutes before being replaced by Jenna D - who, though not normally a central defender, played like a lion for the whole game and was deservedly voted Man of the Match.
The WAGs (who'd got the pub to give them plastic glasses to bring their pints of beer across) and subs weren't impressed with the ref, who didn't appear to be giving much to Hawks and booked Sam purely for opening her mouth after a controversial incident (she hadn't said anything out of turn). As the ref was allegedly the father of one of the Reading players, he got quite a bit of stick based on that, and his turn-of-phrase was mocked after, early in the game, he warned Rob "No swearing on my pitch". Jenna F was also booked for disputing a decision, but most refs would have given a yellow for that.
The turning point came after half an hour when we were awarded a penalty and Sam scored. While a draw would have been enough to keep our promotion hopes on track, Reading were a constant threat up to the half-time whistle. Penny wasn't amused when the ref told her to cover her shirt up; as she said, "I hardly look like I'm playing sitting here with my boot off and a broken ankle." Early in the second half Becky changed the "Penny, get your wand out" song to "Penny broke her wand"; "Chantelle broke my wand," Penny sang by way of correction.
On the hour mark Kelly, having trouble breathing, came off; Claire went on and galvanised the Hawks into constant attack. Chantelle lofted in a ball that the WAGs and substituted girls said was meant to be a cross, but floated beautifully into the top corner of the net. 2-1 Hawks.
Our girls had the upper hand from then on, though Reading had the odd bit of pressure, until Hawks were awarded a corner on 80 minutes. Jodie took it and curled the ball perfectly for Michelle to nod it in at the far post. From then it was game over and Lisa broke away to round the keeper and make it four in time added on.
At the final whistle the whole Hawk contingent erupted in celebration. This had truly been the performance of the season, and gives us one hand on the Championship trophy. As the players came off the field, Michelle, who'd presumably heard of my train and bus odyssey getting there, told me to give her my mobile number and she'd give me a lift to future away matches.
When the girls began coming out of the changing rooms I was invited to join them in their improvised al fresco feast of tuna sandwiches, little shortbread biscuits, Monster Munch and Fun Size chocolate bars, then we all headed across to the Red Lion for celebration drinks and Dick bought me an IPA this time. The Dick of the Day vote was suspended for this week - as Trev said, "there was no Dick of the Day in that performance". Rob offered me a lift to Fareham.
Home, via the kebab shop.
The girl in The Bagel Factory at Reading station only charged me £3.87 for two bagels, the same two which normally cost me close to a fiver at Waterloo. Going by the receipt, it looks like there was a cheap 'breakfast' rate for buying two at that time of the morning. Not bad.
Leaving the station to wait for the bus to Woodcote I passed the Three Guineas pub, which advertised great food, lots of fun and Irish music. My budget wouldn't have extended to a pub meal on the way home, so made a mental note to check the place out if I ever visit Reading again.
Arrived at Woodcote Rec just after 12 noon and spotted three guys in Reading FC In The Community tracksuit tops taking goalposts out of a shed. I asked them if the women's game was there this afternoon and they said yes. Across the road from the Rec stood the Red Lion, with billboards promising the best pub grub in Woodcote, but I only had enough cash on me for something to eat on the way home so, with a wistful glance at the pub, I sat down on a bench to read Non-League Today.
At 12.30 I saw people in the distance beginning to get out of cars next to the changing room block and decided to go over in case it was the Hawk party (though I wasn't absolutely sure as there was a christening party going on in the same building). On my way round the edge of the Rec someone tapped on the window of the Red Lion - it was Rob, Dick and Trevor waving me in.
They congratulated me on finding this remote rural venue, and Trevor bought me a pint of Greene King IPA. After a little while they all drove off to the village Somerfield to buy after-match grub, leaving me alone with my pint and Non-League Today until, minutes later, WAGs Becky, Bernadette and Rosie arrived and we all chatted until 15 minutes before kick-off, when I made my way over to pitchside.
After just a few minutes Reading took the lead with a shot from close range. As they continued to have the better of the opening half-hour, while I continued to cheer our girls on as heartily as ever, inside I was thinking "Bollocks, we're stuck in this shite division again for next season." Soon after the goal Penny and Chantelle both jumped for a header, and Chantelle landed on Penny's ankle with a sickening crack. Penny gamely played on for a few minutes before being replaced by Jenna D - who, though not normally a central defender, played like a lion for the whole game and was deservedly voted Man of the Match.
The WAGs (who'd got the pub to give them plastic glasses to bring their pints of beer across) and subs weren't impressed with the ref, who didn't appear to be giving much to Hawks and booked Sam purely for opening her mouth after a controversial incident (she hadn't said anything out of turn). As the ref was allegedly the father of one of the Reading players, he got quite a bit of stick based on that, and his turn-of-phrase was mocked after, early in the game, he warned Rob "No swearing on my pitch". Jenna F was also booked for disputing a decision, but most refs would have given a yellow for that.
The turning point came after half an hour when we were awarded a penalty and Sam scored. While a draw would have been enough to keep our promotion hopes on track, Reading were a constant threat up to the half-time whistle. Penny wasn't amused when the ref told her to cover her shirt up; as she said, "I hardly look like I'm playing sitting here with my boot off and a broken ankle." Early in the second half Becky changed the "Penny, get your wand out" song to "Penny broke her wand"; "Chantelle broke my wand," Penny sang by way of correction.
On the hour mark Kelly, having trouble breathing, came off; Claire went on and galvanised the Hawks into constant attack. Chantelle lofted in a ball that the WAGs and substituted girls said was meant to be a cross, but floated beautifully into the top corner of the net. 2-1 Hawks.
Our girls had the upper hand from then on, though Reading had the odd bit of pressure, until Hawks were awarded a corner on 80 minutes. Jodie took it and curled the ball perfectly for Michelle to nod it in at the far post. From then it was game over and Lisa broke away to round the keeper and make it four in time added on.
At the final whistle the whole Hawk contingent erupted in celebration. This had truly been the performance of the season, and gives us one hand on the Championship trophy. As the players came off the field, Michelle, who'd presumably heard of my train and bus odyssey getting there, told me to give her my mobile number and she'd give me a lift to future away matches.
When the girls began coming out of the changing rooms I was invited to join them in their improvised al fresco feast of tuna sandwiches, little shortbread biscuits, Monster Munch and Fun Size chocolate bars, then we all headed across to the Red Lion for celebration drinks and Dick bought me an IPA this time. The Dick of the Day vote was suspended for this week - as Trev said, "there was no Dick of the Day in that performance". Rob offered me a lift to Fareham.
Home, via the kebab shop.