Baldon Sports 2
London Maccabi Lions A 3
A hat-trick from Michael Pearson put London Maccabi Lions into the first round of The FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup after they won an extraordinary tie in which Baldon Sports had four players sent off.
The Lions were soon on the back foot in this preliminary round tie at Champion Hill after Marc Dolby, one of five brothers in the Baldon side, put the hosts ahead.
The London and Kent Border League outfit, who last season won the London Senior Cup, beating Maccabi League champions North West Neasden in the semi-finals, went into the break a goal to the good.
Pearson equalised five minutes into the second half after a chipped through ball from Tony Gold. Baldon were then reduced to 10 men as Jason Dolby received a second booking.
Pearson put the Lions ahead with 10 to go, latching on to a pass from Motti Colman but a bullet header from Adam Dolby 10 seconds from time took the tie into extra time.
Baldon’s frustrations boiled over with two more players being dismissed for dissent towards the officials. Pearson scrambled home the winner after 115 minutes before a fourth Baldon player was sent off following a bad tackle on Ben Graham.
Lions’ Motti Colman said: “It’s a shame that the result was overshadowed by the sending offs because we played brilliantly in the second half against a very good side. To be honest, we got on very well with them, all their abuse was aimed at the ref rather than us.”
Lions: Davis, Colman (sub: Morris 105), Basger, Lazard (sub: Arghebant 95), Graham, Fieldgrass, Lebens, Schwarz, Lauffer, Gold (sub: Bibring 70), Pearson
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