Saul Conway fired London Lions Vets into the second round of the Middlesex County Cup following a thrilling 8-4 victory over St Nicholas.
The Lions revelled on a glorious sunny morning at Rowley Lane to extend their winning start to the season. With injuries and absentees prevailing, the squad was stretched but still did enough in an enthralling game for the neutrals.
Conway was the pick of the performers, scoring a terrific hat-trick in what has been an emphatic start to his Lions career. If Conway was the pick of the players, Brad Lazarus scored the pick of all the Lions goals with an exquisite chip when he spotted the keeper off his line from some 25 yards out.
Hadley Silver also scored a cracking goal in another strong performance before not long after being carried off with a groin strain. Craig Pearl also continued his fine goal scoring form and Max Radford produced a brilliant 15-minute cameo performance to also get on the goal charts with a rasping drive into the bottom corner of the net after ghosting past the full-back.
Russell Brill was introduced to the action early on with Dan Reuben feeling tightness in his hamstring and not willing to risk serious injury. Brill proved to be the pick of the midfielders producing a tenacious display.
At the other end, Adam Myeroff conceded a cheap free-kick by his high standards on the edge of the area. The resultant shot wasd up and scored a wonderful free kick over the wall and into the top corner of the net in what was undoubtedly the pick of the opposition’s goals.
Late on Craig Henry conceded what some might deem a harsh penalty, adjudged to have led with his elbow when challenging for a header in the box. The forward coolly despatched the spot kick. The other two goals were perhaps a result of Lions getting a bit lazy in defensive areas when we were without the ball.
GOALS: Saul Conway (3), Bradley Lazarus, Hadley Silver, Max Radford, Pete Lazard, Craig Pearl