HERTS SENIOR COUNTY PREMIER DIVISION
LONDON LIONS 5 HATFIELD SOCIAL 0

Top-scorer Max Kyte was the hat-trick hero as London Lions completed the double over Hatfield with a solid team performance at Rowley Lane ensuring they climbed to fifth in the HSCL table.

With Zac Rose, Nick Landesberg, James Gershfield, Andy Glynne, Adam Lipman, Adam Burchell and long-term injury victim Jake Furman all unavailable, Lions dug deep into their young talent pool.

A new-look defence of Adam Abadi, making his first start, alongside the central pairing of Oli Craig and Harry Hatchwell and the senior member of the team, Will Beresford, were the protective guard for keeper Ruby Rabstein the Lions goal.

With the excellent Jake Rinsler playing the central holding midfield position any Hatfield danger was soon snuffed out.

On the offensive side, Antony Stockman started and alongside Charlie Kasler, returning from illness, and the dual threat of Austin Lipman and Josh Kennet on the flanks, Lions were always going to be a threat going forward.

After just 15 minutes Lions took the lead with Stockman feeding the ball to MAX KYTE who scored from close range.

Ten minutes later Kasler with a great first touch and excellent cross enabled KYTE to double the lead with a powerful header leaving the Hatfield keeper helpless in his goal.

Kasler went close again with two fine efforts only to be denied by the woodwork and the keeper pulling off a fine save.

It took just five minutes into the second half for Lions to kill off any Hatfield comeback thoughts with an excellent team goal starting from the defence and putting together a 10 pass move with Kasler again picking out Stockman and his inch perfect pass found KYTE who completed his hat-trick with a cool finish from 18 yards.

Abadi, who had an excellent game at right-back, was replaced on the hour by debutant Adam Arnold making his return to the club. Arnold looked like he’d never been away and linked well with his new team-mates in the centre of midfield.

Alex Rose, replaced Kasler, who by now was suffering from his bout of tonsillitis that had kept him out for two matches and with 10 to go; ROSE became the Lions Herts County youngest goal scorer with a great finish following up after Kennet had brought a good save from the keeper to make it 4–0.

Rabstein had to be alert in his goal despite long periods of inactivity and made three fine saves in quick succession to ensure his second clean sheet in a row.

Hatfield turned their frustration and disappointment into some poorly-timed tackles. Arnold skipped two before being felled by a nasty third and from the resulting free-kick from 25 yards LIPMAN struck the ball Ronaldo-esque into the top corner to complete the scoring.