A goal from defender Kyle Bentwood saw London Lions moved up to a season's high fifth place in the table following an eighth victory in seven games with a 1-0 home win over Amersham Town
March 11, 2012 21:38MOLTEN SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
London Lions 1 Amersham Town 0
A goal from defender Kyle Bentwood saw London Lions moved up to a season's high fifth place in the table following an eighth victory in seven games with a 1-0 home win over Amersham Town.
Keeping a clean sheet for the first time since October 22 last year, it wasn't the most enthralling performance Lions have produced this season but it was effective enough to win the game.
Lions made one change to the side that beat Langford in midweek. Ben Lampert returned to left-back, allowing Aron Barnes to push on in midfield filling in for the injured Andy Glynne as Lions reverted back to their reliable 4-5-1 formation. Ben Ellis was deployed to the reserves to bolster their forward line for an important home game and Josh Kennet made the Lions bench having missed the last two games.
Amersham Town were a much changed side to the team that drew 2-2 with Lions earlier in the season, but they arrived with a game-plan and were intent on getting three very important points.
The Broxbourne pitch has deteriorated rapidly over the last few months which has made Lions passing game very difficult to play. For the first 15 minutes the game ebbed and flowed from end to end, but it was Lions who were playing all the football and for the remaining 30 minutes found themselves camped in the visitors half.
Neither keeper had a save to make in the first 45 minutes. Lions were wasteful in front of goal with several opportunities from TJ Keterman, Sam Sloma, Matt Stock and Dean Nyman all failing to find the target.
Lions however were defending stoutly with Ricky Engleman, Kyle Bentwood, Adam Myeroff and Ben Lampert all impressive.
Amersham did muster one opportunity following a free-kick six yards from goal after Declan Green in the Lions goal picked up a back-pass from Adam Myeroff, but the Lions wall did their job and cleared the danger.
After a goalless first half it was anyone's guess as to where the first goal was coming from especially if the first half was anything to go by.
Lions remained patient as the second half unravelled but still lacked that cutting edge to make that all important break through. Kennet replaced a rather quite Stock to give Lions fresh impetus.
Then on 60 minutes an unlikely source gave the home side the lead. Bentwood pulled away from his man following a Lions corner delivered dangerously by Sloma and headed home unopposed. Given all the possession it was probably what Lions deserved.
As the game etched towards the final whistle, both sides got entangled in a small fracas following a late and dangerous tackle on Craig Ellis, but thankfully the referee managed to defuse the situation.
Amersham managed to force one last corner in injury time, but Lions defended it well and on clearing the ball were happy to hear the referee blow the final whistle.
Summing up his sides' seventh win in eight games, Lions manager Tony Gold said: "To take 21 points from our last 24 is impressive. I was delighted with the clean sheet today, something we haven't achieved as a team since October last year. The defence really earned it today.
"Our quality in the final third over the last three games has been disappointing and surprising given the quality and ability of the players we have playing there. But in truth the Broxbourne pitch hasn't helped.
"Sometimes during a season you get games like today which aren't particularly pretty to watch but you do just enough to get the three points. At this stage of this season that's the most important thing. Today was no classic it was far from one but we just did enough to win."