El Pat-ico ends in a draw as Crusaders impress in trip to Gloucester City

Hungerford Town continued their pre-season preparations with a determined performance in a 2-2 draw with National League North outfit Gloucester City on Tuesday evening.

Dubbed both El Pat-ico and the Hofmeister derby, the match saw the Crusaders pay a visit to former chairman Patrick Chambers' new club for the first time since his departure in the summer.

Pat and his wife Nicky, who curated and popularised one of non-league football's best burgers, the famous Bulpit Beast, announced their decision to swap West Berkshire for Gloucestershire midway through last season, which ended in relegation for Hungerford.

It's been a summer of considerable change for both sides.

Gloucester, who reached the play-offs in one of the league's most dramatic final days last term, have reverted back to part-time status in an attempt to establish the club on a firmer financial footing – the Tigers were hemorrhaging an unsustainable £30,000 a month last season.

That – among other things – has led to a mass exodus of last season's squad as well as the departure of popular manager Steve King.

The club have recruited 13 new players so far as well as a new manager in former Premier League-winning goalkeeper Tim Flowers – and have upgraded their burgers.

Hungerford have been busy too, with former vice-chairman Alan O'Donohue stepping up to replace Chambers, the club's committee working tirelessly to secure sponsorship and boss Danny Robinson skipping a summer holiday to focus on player recruitment.

Despite relegation from the National League South, Robinson's managed to keep hold of a number of last season's key players and looks to have made a series of shrewd signings at both ends of the pitch.

The Crusaders suffered a handful of injuries in their pre-season opener, a 2-0 win at Badshot Lea, but a number of the new faces were still on show at the Tiger Turf Stadium, with Conor McDonagh leading the line, Brad Hooper and Nathan Davis marshalling the midfield, Luke Carnell at the heart of the defence and Ryan Clarke in goal.

Gloucester, meanwhile, had three trialists in their 11 and six on the bench while last term's Crusaders player of the season Louis McGrory started in midfield.

Burger wars? Perhaps, but there were flowers and well-wishes as Pat – beer in hand – and Nicky greeted the Hungerford fans, players and delegates at the gate on arrival.

On the pitch, there was something of a slow start to the game but Hungerford were looking sharp – and noticeably more physical than last season – with George Smith appearing to have shaken off the worst of his knee injury and snapping at the home side's heels.

The hosts fashioned the first real chance of the game 14 minutes in when skipper Spencer Hamilton knocked the ball back across goal to McGrory but the former Crusaders man's shot was blocked.

The Tigers went close again five minutes later when the silver-haired veteran Danny Wright – who scored against Hungerford for Havant and Waterlooville last season – headed just over following a cross from the right.

However Hungerford went ahead after 21 minutes when two of last term's stalwarts combined to unleash a new star as Matt Berry-Hargreaves knocked a ball over the top for skipper Rhys Tyler and the marauding full-back crossed for new man Karnell Chambers, who poked the ball off the underside of the bar and in to make it 1-0 against his former club.

The visitors were more than a little bit fortunate not to be down to 10 men three minutes later when former Corsham Town midfielder Nathan Davis – who enjoyed a good game alongside George Smith in the middle of the park – flew into a challenge late and with his studs showing.

The Tigers did not take kindly to the tackle and Davis was soon surrounded, which prompted Great Evans – who appears to have picked up a serious injury against Badshot Lea – to attempt to hop onto the pitch on his one good knee to defend his teammate until Robinson managed to call him back to the dugout.

Sensibly, given the nature of the game, the referee let Davis off with a yellow but had this been a competitive game it would have been little surprise had the midfielder been given his marching orders.

Gloucester were beginning to hit their stride and equalised in the 27th minute when the lively Joe Parker fashioned some space down the flank and picked out Wright with a deep cross, which the veteran frontman headed into the ground and beyond Ryan Clarke to make it 1-1.

Both sides will need to improve their defending from balls into the box and Hungerford were undone two minutes before the break when left-back Jamie Reckord – probably Gloucester's outstanding player in the first half – found Wright with a cross from the left and the former Torquay United forward turned the ball back towards Parker, who flicked into the far corner to hand the hosts a 2-1 lead.

Tim Flowers shuffled his pack at half time while Robinson – somewhat restricted because of injuries – made just the one change, with Michael Fernandes replacing goalscorer Chambers, who, showing real class as an individual, spent the second half chatting with a group of young supporters while going through a warm-down routine.

Robinson did make changes later into the second 45 and Crusaders fans were able to have a look at young goalkeeper James Walker – who showed great courage in coming for almost all the balls into his box – and academy product Toby Thorp.

And it was Thorp who fashioned the equaliser when the young frontman latched onto a ball in behind, raced into the box and was brought down by a clumsy challenge that led to the referee – perhaps a little harshly – pointing to the spot.

Fernandes, who had made a real difference in the second half with a typically energetic display, stepped up, gave goalkeeper Liam Armstrong the eyes and sent him the wrong way, rolling the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-2 four minutes from time.

Gloucester felt they should have had a penalty of their own in added time when Felix Miles flicked a cross on, beating the boot of Fernandes to the ball – the home fans felt his foot was high but the diminutive midfielder Miles was stooping down and it would have been soft.

Both sides remain unbeaten in pre-season and will be able to take plenty of positives – although neither is the finished article – from the game with less than a month to go until the beginning of the new season.

Hungerford will find out their fixtures tomorrow (Friday) when the Southern League publishes its schedule while Gloucester will make the long trip to the north east to take on Blyth Spartans on August 5.

The Crusaders welcome local rivals Chippenham to Bulpit Lane (3pm kick-off) on Saturday for their third pre-season fixture.