Milton Lindsay

Hethersett gearing up for a tour de four-ce

King-sized club Hethersett Athletic are on course for a quad-tastic season.

One of Norfolk's biggest outfits (if not the biggest), with 17 teams and over 250 players of all ages on its books, has serious designs on four coveted pieces of silverware.

The honours drive is being spearheaded by the men's Saturday team who booked their place in the final of the Crown Fire Central and South Norfolk League's Pease League Cup despite being ordered to play their semi-final Sporle twice.

Hethersett won the orginal tie 4-0 but were then found to have fielded an ineligible player. After an investigation into the circumstances they were ordered to replay the match.

The game, switched to Sporle's pitch, because Hethersett's ground was waterlogged, turned out to be a nailbiting classic. Hethersett took an early lead with Matt Steward's 150th goal for the club before Sporle pressure produced an equaliser.

Hethersett goalkeeper Ryan O Sullivan was sent off for handling outside the area in the dying minutes. Despite sailing close to the wind in extra time Hethersett made it through to a penalty shoot-out, with substitute goalkeeeper Nick Shorten saving a spot-kick as the triumphing 4-2 to book a March 31 final date against Castle Acre Swifts at Dereham's Aldiss Park.

“It was a tremendous game, enthused Hethersett chairman Peter Steward. It will be a tough final because Castle Acre have only lost once in the league and they beat us earlier in the season 3-0. I think we will be underdogs.”

Hethersett Athletic Ladies first team is hoping to complete a hat-trick of Eastern Region Women's League cup triumphs after booking a semi-final slot by beating Peterborough. Despite being reduced to 10 players through injury Hethersett won a penalty shoot-out 6-5 after the game had ended 3-3 after extra-time. The team, run by Chris Balderstone, only had one player over 20 years of age.

Hethersett have won the trophy in the past two seasons and will be bidding for a hat-trick come May. Before that they still have to overcome a semi-final tie. The draw still has to be made.

The other two trophies the club are aspiring to could come in the shape of league titles.

The Ladies Hearts team, in their first season in the Norfolk Ladies League, look odds on favourites to take Division Two. Hannah Waters is providing the goalpower for the side managed by Kevin Swann. She became the 12th player and only the second Ladies/Girls player to score 100 league and cup goals for the club. She has hit 62 goals (eight hat-tricks) in 17 games for the Hearts and Under 17s, and is 18 short of a new club record for goals in a single season held by Danny Gray with 79.

The Under-17 girls have maximum points in the Norfolk and Suffolk Girls League and are a massive 17 points clear at the top and looking almost certainties to win their division.

“We are currently running 17 teams for both sexes and players aged from seven to veteran and we are very proud of what our teams have achieved over the past few seasons. It is down to the enthusiasm of the players and the excellent work put in throughout the club at every level and also all the hard work behind the scenes,” said Steward.

He said that further expansion could be on the cards for a thriving set-up which has four men's teams (one Saturday, two Sunday); a men's veterans team); two ladies, two girls and nine youth teams from under 8 to under 16 level.

“Next season we are looking at having another girls youth team, another ladies team and there is even the possibility of a Saturday Reserves side.”

He added: “Our ethos is simply to provide competitive football for as many players of all ages and all abilities in the village and surrounding area as we can.

“We are always looking for new players and anybody interested in joining next season or who would like to know more about the club can get in touch.”