Benson hits jackpot for runaway Fortune - The Jewish Chronicle

Man of the moment Rob Benson scored four times to help high-flying Fortune flatten Hendon B in this JC MSFL Division Two top of the table clash. Benson, however, was quick to heap the praise on 17-year-old winger Dave Gance, who made four of his side's eight goals, as well as scoring two himself. Benson, who has now bagged nine league goals this term, said: "I always feel confident when I'm given good service. Young Dave has been a revelation so far this season." Benson, however, deserves credit for his forward running and cool head in front of goal. His first two were the best – and most decisive - coming in the last five minutes in what had been a tight opening to the match on Hendon's bumpy home pitch. The first saw him latch onto a through ball by Jack Morris, hitting the ball first time on the turn round goalkeeper Nicky Rosenthal's right hand post. Right on half-time he broke the Hendon offside trap and finished with a superb dink. More damage was wrought on 55 minutes, this time from the right hand side when Gance shifted past his marker and pulled back to Paul Walker who struck a superb first time shot into the net. Hendon might have had a reprieve had Fortune keeper Roni Stone's handball outside the area been seen, but the referee waved on play. The last 20 minutes were cruel for Hendon as the away side scored five times, including a tap-in from Matt Gilbery from a Gance corner was missed by the home defence. Gance then skinned Natan Weisenberg before laying the ball across the area for the unmarked Benson to prod home for his hat-trick. Gance then broke the offside trap on the right to deliver another simple tap-in for the grateful Benson. Five minutes from time Gance decided to go it alone and toe-poked past the keeper, before Raphael Noe scrambled in a consolation for Hendon. Right at the death substitute Mike Maxwell broke through on the left to cross for Gance to claim his second. Both camps remain level-headed despite their relative fortunes. "We've shown what we are capable of, playing solidly as a team," said Temple Fortune assistant-manager Lee Fegan. "We are obviously very happy the way the new boys have done. Having Scott Schindler at the back and Gance in midfield has helped us a lot. We will just take it one game at a time." Hendon player-coach Chaim Gothold said: "We made some errors but we weren't helped by some bad decisions, including at least two goals they scored that were offside and a handball by their goalkeeper outside the area and a penalty we weren't given. However, we will definitely go up." Hendon: Rosenthal; Steel (sub: Ben-Soor), Weisenberg, Suissa (sub: Aziz), Nevies; Gothold, Neiss, Atkins, Goldring; R Noe, M Korman Fortune: Stone; Fegan, Schindler, Natoff, Woolfe; Gance, Walker, Gilberry (sub: Maxwell), Morris; Goldberg (sub: Souber) Benson