GARSTON VETS LEAGUE
LONDON LIONS 6 OLD WOODHOUSIANS 0

The Masters bounced back from last week's cup disappointment with a convincing win over league new boys Old Woodhousians at a wet and windy Rowley Lane on Sunday.

Having let themselves down somewhat last week, albeit in an open age competition they would always struggle to win, the squad were in determined mood from the off. With the swirling wind helping no-one, it was the hosts who settled the faster.

The visitors were strong in defence and hard in the tackle, happy to concede possession but quick to bite as Lions approached the final third, hoping to then break and cause problems of their own.

Lions built up a head of steam though, and were rewarded with the lead on the quarter hour. Adam Kaye's non-stop work rewarded when he chased down and tackled a breaking midfielder, immediately feeding Lazarus who'd found a few yards of space. Looking up he saw the keeper off his line, needing no second invitation to drill a 30-yarder over his head and into the net to give Lions a deserved lead.

They nearly doubled this moments later when Hadley Silver's whipped in corner was fumbled by the keeper, only for Kaye's effort to strike Pearl and deflect away.

Pearl and Alex Levack began to take control of the central area, and with Silver pulling the strings further forward the hosts remained a threat. It was therefore no more than they deserved when they did indeed grab a second before half time. M=ax Radford did well down the right to get to the byeline and pull the ball back. Pearl fluffed his lines as he tried to volley home, but the ball found its way to Lazarus who calmly stroked the ball home.

The second period began in a storm that rubbed off on some of the players as a number of challenges went in. Lenchner slid in to block the full back's clearance that the visiting keeper took umbrage at sparking a bout of push and shove between the two. To get matters under control and show who was boss the referee sent the pair to cool off for 10 minutes and the game got back to normal.

Lazarus was having a fine game, and after Levack was hacked down for the umpteenth time on the edge of the box, the Lions striker came within an inch of his hat-trick as his tremendous strike crashed back off the crossbar. But he wasn't to be denied for long, and when a misplaced pass gifted him the ball Lazarus gleefully accepted the invitation, rolling the ball into the unguarded net.

Jon Rayner, Greene, Adam Myeroff, Craig Henry and then latterly Andrew Myers and Scott Levy ensured that Brad Lee in the Lions goal remained well protected.

The hosts were now starting to find some good rhythm with Levack and Pearl controlling matters. Lions' fourth soon came. Kaye did well down the left to outpace his man and deliver a cross. Levack spun and drove the ball across goal with Lenchner on hand to rifle home at the far post.

A fifth almost came via the head of Silver, but he was denied only by an outstanding save from the OW's keeper. But his heroics delayed things only for a few seconds as Kaye beat him to the resultant corner, flicking in at the near post for a well deserved goal.

And Lenchner wrapped things up up in the latter stages, his bullet header from Radford's fine cross the icing on Lions' cake.

A pleasing performance from Lions as they head into a cup double header next weekend, with quarter-finals on both Saturday (1.30pm KO) and Sunday (11am KO) at Rowley Lane that, especially with a few bays away/injured, will surely test their resources in their last action before the Xmas break.