"6-0. Not too shabby. Our biggest victory of the season". Those were the words of jubilant Hertswood Vale joint-manager Jacob Emanuel following his team's shock 6-0 success over high-flying Redbridge.
April 24, 2017 10:25
MGBSFL DIVISION TWO
REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE C 0 HERTSWOOD VALE
Despite the early start and a 45-minute drive that awaited them, the Hertswood boys turned in anticipation for the game - even managing to raise 13 members from the squad who didn't mind "going all the way to Essex on a Sunday morning".
Hertswood started superbly. With less than 90 seconds on the clock, Harry Graham slotted away to give them an early lead from Ben Mandel's deflected through ball.
Redbridge were playing some exquisite football across the park, with just no end product. Hertswood were able to match them well and doubled the lead 35 minutes in. Mandel played a delicious long ball to Josh Cohen on the left-side of the box who took a neat touch before cutting onto his right foot and into the far corner for his 12th of the season.
2-0 at half time and the verdict in the Hertswood camp was "solid first half performance but we knew that Redbridge would try and press us in the second half," according to Emanuel.
Josh Gorb had different ideas however, slotting in deep in the box from a squared-pass from Josh Cohen for 3-0 just five minutes into the second half. At this point Hertswood shifted up a gear and put in an attacking performance that has made them so deadly in recent weeks.
The fourth came five minutes later, Gorb being played in on the right side of the box by another crossfield pass from Mandel, he cut inside on his left foot and finished well into the bottom corner.
An injury to centre-back saw a defensive reshuffle in the Hertswood defence, with Gorb slotting into an unfamiliar left-back position. This proved a tactical masterclass as he set up their final two goals for Elio Elia and Harry Graham. Elio rifling into the top corner from 30 yards to leave the keeper stranded, whilst Harry slotted in for his ninth goal in 10 games this season.
A delighted Emanuel told JC Sport; "This was another fantastic victory, the fifth in our last seven games, and a second consecutive clean sheet."