GARSTON VETS LEAGUE
RICKMANSWORTH 0 LONDON LIONS 3

An excellent performance from super-sub Brad Lazarus ensured the Lions remain in touch with the leaders with this important victory at second-placed Rickmansworth Town, with three goals in the final 20 minutes reward for a game well played.

Lions coped better with a pitch that tested the first touch of the players on show and a wind that played havoc with balls played in the air.

Danny Daggers and Alex Levack combined well from the off to get Lions playing, and with Adam Myeroff supporting Hadley Silver it was down Lions’ left that a lot of the good early play came; the latter seeing a pile-driver tipped over before not making the most of a great position from Craig Pearl’s through ball.

Back in the starting line-up, Jon Rayner began to get forward. Feeding Max Radford, the Lions winger saw one shot blocked before a hum-dinger clipped the frame of the goal.

Saul Conway’s pace was a constant threat, his running in behind meant Lions were getting closer but they couldn’t make the breakthrough, Pearl twice just unable to guide follow up efforts on target.

Ricky’s front man is as good as any in the league, and it thus required Rob Glass and Andy Myers to be at their alert best to keep Brad Lee well protected. For the most part they did, but following an advantage played but the excellent referee it was the home side who had the clearest sight of goal of the opening period, thankfully, with time and space 12 yards out on the angle the effort was sliced just wide.

At the interval Lions introduced Paul Lenchner and Brad Lazarus, hoping to ask a few more questions. The quality of the skipper’s delivery almost brought instant dividends, but to be fair Rickmansworth were certainly well in the game and asked questions of their own. With the game entering its final quarter the points were still up for grabs ... and Lions grabbed them.

Levack fed Lazarus who freed up Conway. His initial effort brought a good block out of the keeper, but reacting first to the loose ball he was able to square it to LENCHNER who gleefully swept the ball home.

As you’d expect from a good side Rickmansworth responded well. It needed Lee to be alert to stick out a foot and save well at his near post before bravely punching away the resulting corner.

Myers, Glass, Myeroff and daN Reuben though all stood up well to the challenge, reward for their endeavour came shortly after as Lions broke quickly. Levack found Pearl who rolled the ball perfectly into the path of the supporting Reuben. His cross on the run was perfection, the timing of CONWAY'S run and his leap between the two centre halves even better than that – he powered his header into the bottom corner for 2-0 and game over.

Silver’s trickery saw him deliver well, LazAaus the same, Lenchner just unable to add to the score with two bullet headers of his own. But when he broke clear and was crudely upended, LAZARUS gleefully smashed home the spot-kick emphatically to add some extra gloss to the scoreline.

The big games keep coming as the side host Colney Heath in the cup semi-final this coming week and then host table-toppers Winchmore Hill on March 13.