MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
HARMEN 5 MACCABI LONDON LIONS BLUE 1

James Gershfield and Daniel Green fired doubles as Harmen kept alive their title challenge with a convincing 5-1 success over Lions Blue.

In a week where Harmen struggled for numbers, there were stand-out performances from debutant Kane Swerner, a half-fit Danny Cohen and Jake Gottleib sealed the points this week.

Bradley Sharp opened the scoring after 22 minutes after some excellent work down the left between Joey Lazare and Jake Gottleib, who laid the ball back to Brad on the edge of the box to finish into the top corner. A definite contender for goal of the week.

Harmen doubled the lead when Green, recently captured from Lions who’s keeper could only parry Gershfield shot into the path of Green who couldn’t miss from 10 yards out.

Leading comfortably at half time, Harmen looked to come out with the same focus and intensity but Rick Jacobson pulled one back just two minutes after the break and there was some concern for Harmen that things were about to go pear-shaped.

Harmen settled back into their rhythm and they found another goal just after the hour mark. Green had been moved out to the left, a switch which put him up against his brother, and as Lions looked to play out from the back, Green intercepted a pass from his sibling, cut inside and finished low to the keeper's right.

Harmen registered two more goals, with Gershfield claiming both, and they came within a minute of each other. The first saw him run through the Lions defence before coolly putting it past the keeper, his second was set up by Joey Lazare who did the hard work and laid it on a plate for Gersh to fire home.

Harmen joint-manager Joel Alterman told JC Sport: "We looked comfortable throughout this game, with chances being created and taken throughout."

Lions boss Jamie Kyte told JC Sport: "We won't be able to beat teams like Harmen if we gift them goals. Some of our football was woeful."