SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS RESERVE DIVISION
LONDON LIONS 6 WELWYN GARDEN CITY 1
A second consecutive four-goal salvo from skipper Nick Goodman saw Lions to what was a highly impressive victory, and their 10th in a row, against a very decent Welwyn Garden Side.
The pitch at Rowley Lane was at its immaculate best, allowing both sides to get the ball down and really play their stuff from the off.
Lions began on the front foot, crisp passing opening up the visitors for Shai Revivo to cross just too firmly for on-rushing teammates.
Yet Lions didn't have long to wait for the opening goal. When Ricardo Engleman, an impressive presence throughout, won possession in midfield, he fed Max Kyte whose early through ball had Goodman on hand to muscle clear of his markers before threading a finish through the keeper's legs and in off the far post.
Lions doubled their advantage within minutes. Terrific work from Ben Joseph led to Revivo's initial effort being well saved by the keeper, only for Goodman to be in the right place to slam home the rebound and give Lions a cushion they were never to surrender.
In fact save for what seemed a decent penalty shout for handball, the Lions back four of Frank Hyman, Laurence Judah, Kyte and Rob Blackman ensured Danny Berliner in the Lions goal had nothing of any consequence to do for the first 45 minutes.
Lions' passing was as good as it has been for a while. Ross Pincus gave the home side a real tempo to their game that Joseph, Engelman, Aron Barnes and Revivo all thrived on.
The hosts had sights aplenty of the Welwyn goal and added a deserved third before the break when Goodman got away down the left, his cross from the byline headed spectacularly into the top corner of his own net by Welwyn's No. 7.
Any chance of a fightback was put to bed with two further clinical Goodman finishes inside the opening quarter hour of the second period. Firstly played in by Pincus, he drilled a low finish to the keeper's near post before a delightful dink added his fourth and a Lions fifth from an exquisite Barnes pass.
Revivo dropped in at left=back following injury to Kyte, allowing Dan Lipman a run up top. With his first touch he hit a tremendous 25-yard half volley that crashed back off the foot off the post, then was foiled by the legs of the keeper before finally being involved in Lions' sixth goal of the afternoon, his run and driven cross towards Goodman was cleared by the WGC centre half only against his own man, the ball cannoning back into the net leaving the keeper no chance.
Barnes should have added a seventh but drew another decent save while poor choices saw other openings spurned. With the game stretched Lions got a little sloppy, and in the final minute were punished. A poor ball was intercepted by Welwyn ending with a fierce shot from six yards that was blocked on the line by Engleman. The referee adjudged it to have been with his hand, and harshly in so doing sent the Lions man off when the ball just hit him. The penalty was despatched just in time for the final whistle.
The win will see Lions head into the Xmas break in the top two, but with four or five teams within a couple of points of each other they'll need to replicate their recent form for the entire second half of the season if they're to remain there.
Before they sign off there's the little matter of a County Cup game away to Kings Langley next week. Their hosts sit atop the division above so will be firm favourites, but Lions are looking forward to the challenge and to seeing what they need to aspire to if they're to compete at the higher level in years to come.
Lions: Danny Berliner, Frank Hyman, Laurence Judah, Ross Pincus, Shai Revivo, Max Kyte (sub: Dan Lipman, Aron Barnes, Rob Blackman, Ricardo Engleman, Ben Joseph, Nick Goodman
MOM: Nick Goodman (Lions)