Robinson looking for Hungerford to turn draws into wins
Hungerford Town had to settle for a point on Saturday following the visit of Walton & Hersham to Bulpit Lane.
The game saw midfielder Alefe Santos and striker James Harding return to the starting lineup, with the latter a much needed addition following a period out injured.
16-year-old Isaac Hughes started the game, continuing his early steps into senior football on loan from Forest Green Rovers.
The first real Hungerford chance came in the sixteenth minute, when centre-back Matt Berry-Hargreaves whipped a dangerous ball into the box, with midfielder Joe Shepherd unable to connect well enough with his poke towards goal.
The first half continued at 0-0, with neither side able to generate much in the way of chances.
A Harding knock down was met by Shepherd, but deflected wide, while Baboucarr Jarra saw a header saved to end the half all-square.
With Hungerford kicking down the slope in the second half they hoped for a breakthrough.
Harding delivered a promising ball to the feet of the youngster Hughes, who saw the ball knocked away for a corner.
That corner caused chaos in the box, with the ball falling to the Brazilian Santos, who tucked the ball home for his first Hungerford Town goal after sixteen appearances.
Hungerford worked tirelessly to see the game out with over half an hour remaining, but in the 86th minute there was a sting in the tail.
A questionable free-kick was awarded to the visitors on the edge of the box, which Tom Olyott stuck straight in the top corner to tie the game up.
It ended 1-1, leaving Hungerford seventeenth and the visitors fourth.
“There was hardly anything in the game, truth being told,” said manager Danny Robinson.
“Walton & Hersham are a possession based side, they pass you to death.
“But they didn’t really hurt us.
“It was good to score from a set piece for once, and Clarkey didn’t really have anything to do.
Robinson believes that the free-kick which the visitors equalised from was a mistake by the officials.
“That wasn’t a free kick in a million years,” he reflected.
“And of course, how our luck is going, he hit it way up where the spiderwebs live.
“I can’t moan at that. It was a brilliant free kick.
“I try to be positive. It’s a point more than we took off them last year.
“We need to turn these draws into victories.”
Hungerford’s last seven league games have resulted in six draws, but with more players returning from injury there is hope that Hungerford can turn one point into three more regularly.
“Alefe Santos has been in and out,” Robinson said.
“He’s technically our best player. Special with the ball at his feet.
“He took his goal really well. He’s a tremendous player. It’s down to us to get even more out of him.
“Isaac Hughes is someone Forest Green have high hopes for.
“You can see in the way he plays, he’s one hell of a talent.
“He has to learn the dark arts of non-league football, but he’s a star in the making that’s for sure.”