The season of 2010/2011 was obviously my first in charge as 1st Team Manager after 5 years of being an assistant to Nick Stagg. I quickly decided to add just a few new names the first being my most important of the season which was to appoint Nick Lowery as my Assistant Manager. The other addition was to bring Chris Muir to the club from Epping F.C. This was also to turn out to be a good decision.

With a successful enough pre-season under our belt we entered the season with optimism and determination to go one step further than we had done the previous year. The message to the players was still very clear that the game was still to be played the “Kelvedon” way.

The league season started well in terms of results with 10 points being taken from the first 12 and a good away point gained at, what turned out to be our closest rivals Harold Wood, although it should have been all 3 points. A series of cup games followed throughout October. Although these were successfully negotiated the next 2 league games yielded just 1 point against Ongar and Buckhurst Hill and approaching the end of November Frenford had built a substantial lead at the top of the league. Frenford visited School Road at the end of November and it was the first of our crucial must win games and a very solid display. A 2-0 win made sure Frenford were still within our reach. With the winter closing in again the weather was a huge disruption to the fixture list and over the next 7 weeks just 1 cup game, in which we really disappointed against Mountnessing, resulted in us going out of the Premier Cup.

The New Year started and still there were 19 league games to play and if the target of 60 points was to be reached then 46 points out of 57 would be a tall order. January was a mixed month in which 5 points were dropped but a very important result in the middle of this month was the 1-0 home win against Harold Wood. So with 15 games to go 13 wins were needed over the next 4 months. A very tough “ask” but Hatch knew they would start to run into form soon as although they were challenging at the top they had still not played to their potential.

February started with a comprehensive home win and then the next 10 games unbelievably threw up 10 away games and this was time for Hatch to dig deep. The away win at Manford was a magnificent team display of heart and desire and the foundations were set from that day on. They were to be successive slip ups, one in the league cup quarter final to Harold Wood where we were comprehensively beaten and then a heartbreaking defeat at Buckhurst Hill where we were so much the better side only to lose in the dying seconds. Had the title slipped away again?

Bounce back was needed and again we did. With 10 games left 9 victories were needed. 3 of them were achieved without much fuss at Epping, Rayleigh and White Ensign as we hit top form and hit some all important goals, as it turned out. 11 goals were scored for the loss of just 1 at the other end.

The way the fixture list looked to be able to win 6 of our last 7 fixtures was a very stiff assignment and we started in disastrous fashion with an abysmal performance at Mountnessing and a 2-1 loss. So onto the last month of the season and 6 wins out of 6 were needed and the boys knew this. The first of those 6 was so dramatic it came at league leaders Frenford where on a steaming hot day and being definitely second best for long periods Chris Muir scored what turned out to be our goal of the season in the 95th minute and win us the game and deflate Frenford. This had a huge galvanising effect and we went into our next 2 games which were midweek fixtures at M&B and home to Mountnessing with renewed confidence and won both fixtures 2-1. This was a fantastic effort from all the lads and much appreciated.

With 3 fixtures left the belief was 3 wins would win us the title, the first of those 3 was a tough home fixture versus Manford Way but we came through in the end 2-0. White Ensign was next and this was a very disappointing episode where they were unable to field a team which, given their Reserves were not playing either, was a very poor show. Although we were awarded the 3 points it looked as though the league would possibly be decided on goal difference with Harold Wood making their customary late charge.

The last league game of a very long season was at home to Rayleigh and with Harold Wood now just 4 goals behind with 2 games to play not only was victory essential but goals too, Hatch were brilliant for 30 minutes and were 2-0 up. News filtered through that Harold Wood had a 0-0 win against Epping as Epping had not been able to field a team like Ensign had the week before against us. Now all of a sudden Hatch felt the pressure with the knowledge a win should be enough to win them the league. Although Rayleigh scored near the end Hatch won the game and got to the magical 60 points. Now Harold Wood had to beat Frenford by 5 clear goals to deny Hatch the title. Wood had a great go at it and beat Frenford 3-0 but the title was back at Kelvedon for the first time in 14 years.

I would like to thank every one of my players for this season’s efforts. They have made it enjoyable on and off the field, the team spirit and football that they play in the right way is a joy to watch. Eight weeks of summer will be very boring for me not watching them play, but I look forward to next season with a sense of optimism and hope all the lads return with an appetite to continue to improve and bring the club further silverware.

Darren Hunt
Senior XI Team Manager