HERTS COUNTY CUP
COLNEY HEATH 1 MACCABI LONDON LIONS 2

Strikes from Hadley Silver and Brad Lazarus set up a meeting with Knebworth after the Lions edged a thriller against Colney Heath.

With this competition allowing just four under 40 in the squad, Lions juggled their pack, seeing starts for Gideon Barnett up front and the evergreen 54-year-old Pete Lazard at centre half who, alongside Adam Myeroff, didn’t put a foot wrong.

However, there is no doubt the hosts started the better, with Lions indebted to keeper Dan Jacobs who pulled off a string of fantastic saves in the opening half hour to time and again keep his side in it.

But when Lions marking from a free-kick allowed an un-challenged close range header, Heath deservedly led. And it may have been worse soon after but Tony Gold was in the right place to clear off the line. In doing so he injured his groin, seeing Adam Harvey slotting in at left-back where his energy and tenacity saw him play a vital part as the game progressed.

Lions found a bit of rhythm, with the hard work of Alex Levack, Dan Reuben and Craig Pearl rewarding Lions with a greater share of the game. When the latter played in Silver the front man made a yard before driving a deep cross shot that bamboozled the keeper, sailing over his head and finding the far corner for 1-1.

Lions drove on, Brad Lazarus and Paul Lenchner now on gave Lions a real presence up front. The teams however went into the break level.

The second half started with Lions on top again. Pearl headed over from point-blank after Lenchner’s flick on, the two combining again, Pearl this time finding Lenchner, his close range volley brilliantly parried by the Heath keeper.

Lions were asking all the questions and it had thus been coming when they forged ahead. A free-kick was whipped in by Levack, Lazarus darting in front of his man to toe in a fine volley.

With 20 minutes remaining there was time for Heath to get back in it. They pushed hard, but without the ball Lions were superb. Rayner, Lazard, Harvey and Myeroff dominated physically, Jacobs receiving much better protection. But the Lions keeper was on hand to make a low plunging stop the one time they got in.

And with the game running into the minutes the referee added on Heath fashioned one final opening, but with the ball curling towards the top corner Jacobs was up to claw it away. Rayner belted the resultant corner away and Lion were in the hat.