SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
COCKFOSTERS 1 LONDON LIONS 5

Braces from Sam Sloma and Dean Nyman helped London Lions pull off a stunning away win at Cockfosters to make it five games unbeaten at Cockfosters.

Tony Gold’s men turned on the style to secure all three points as the blues hammered in five goals against their high-flying opponents.

With Josh Kennet declaring himself unfit to play due to a back problem, Lions welcomed back Sam Sloma who was positioned out on the left wing. Andy Glynne returned to the midfield with Ricky Engleman moving to the bench and Matt Stock was back in the squad after a hectic academic schedule.

The message to the Lions players before the game was simple, find a clinical edge to the game. With 15 minutes on the clock Nyman found the back of the net with a classic clinically taken shot that gave the home keeper no chance. That first attempt and first goal of the game set the tone for an entertaining first half.

Five minutes later a brilliant point-blank save from Mario Cenolli kept Lions in front. The game continued to flow but Cockfosters had no answer to Lions direct approach.

Nyman and Sloma were constant thorns all afternoon and it was the latter who extended the visitors lead. Nyman crossed superbly to the far post picking out Sloma. Bringing the ball down and cutting inside his marker, the former Wimbledon and Dagenham & Redbridge midfielder expertly slotted the ball home.

Lions continued to push on with the back five of Cenolli, Myeroff, Morris, Kyle Bentwood and Lampert faultless. With the half drawing to a close Sloma scored his second and Lions third with another sublime finish.

The initial target for Lions was to ensure the hosts failed to find an early second half goal and their target was successfully achieved when Sloma’s dangerous cross was cruelly diverted into the goal by a Cockfosters player to put Lions 4-0 up and kill the game dead.

The visitors continued to plug away and it wasn’t long before Nyman scored his second of the game. Picking up a loose ball just inside the 18-yard box following a shot from Sloma, he powered the ball home first time with a deadly finish that smashed the back of the net.

Lions then had several further chances to extend their lead but Bentwood, David Soutar and substitute Matt Stock just lacked the composure to make the chances count.

In the final 10 minutes, Cockfosters did manage a late consolation with a spectacular finish from 20 yards that flew past the helpless Cenolli.

Summing up a terrific afternoon’s work, Lions manager Tony Gold said: "With only three defeats in our last 15 games, we have built up plenty of momentum. The game at Cockfosters was played on a difficult surface, but we won it comfortably which made a nice change and completely deserved to leave with the scoreline we did.

“It was a good professional performance from one to 11 and great to keep the recent unbeaten run going, but the players aren’t getting ahead of themselves – we’re doing nothing more than take each game as it comes.

"We're in a good vein of form at the moment and we are all desperate for it to continue, especially as we have an exciting trip to the league leaders London Colney next week in the quarter-finals of the Herts Centenary Trophy."

The recent unbeaten run has pushed Lions comfortably into mid-table in the South Midlands League Division One, but Gold's sights are firmly set further up the division with Ampthill currently sitting in the final promotion place, 11 points ahead of Lions”.

Looking towards next week's quarter-final clash with top of the table London Colney, Gold said: "The lads will be fired up for the game next week, as they know a win puts them into a semi-final.

"Their current league position will tell you it's certainly not going to be easy, as London Colney are a good side with an excellent manager. But like any side in our league, we respect them but don't fear them.

"Our lads are strong mentally and full of confidence and at this moment in time it's going to take a very good side to beat us, so it has the makings of being a cracking game."

Lions: Mario Cenolli, Danny Berg (sub: Ricky Engleman), Ben Lampert, Adam Myeroff, Guy Morris, Kyle Bentwood, Sam Sloma, Daniel Stanton, Andy Glynne, Dean Nyman (sub: Matt Stock), David Soutar,

MOMs: Cenolli & Sloma