By, Danny Caro
2 min read
ByDanny Caro, Danny Caro
Manchester Maccabi 1st eased into the third round of the Manchester County Cup courtesy of a 7-1 victory over Inter Didsbury at Brooklands.
After a difficult start to the season, the layoff for high holydays allowed Maccabi to regroup and take stock of their current situation. The new manager, ex-Manchester United forward, Scott McGarvey, gathered the squad and had outlined what he expected of them to take things to the next level.
On Sunday, against albeit a team from a weaker league in the County Cup, Maccabi came out of the blocks as if they had been caged for months, not just two weeks.
McGarvey was keen to get as much pace down the wings, and with Emile Davidson and Rafi Leker, they had this. Davidson was electrifying down the left, and there are not many full-backs that would be able to keep up with him once he opens his legs.
Leker, down the right, constantly tormented the left-back, and cut inside on numerous occasions using his ability to run with the ball opening up the middle of the visitors defence. It did not take long before Maccabi were firing the ball at will past the Inter keeper, who clearly does not come up against this level of attacking player every week.
Leor Sidle’s movement and Luke Fracheboud’s power was too much for the Inter defenders, and after 25 minutes Maccabi were 4-0 up, Sidle and Fracheboud grabbing two each.
Sidle was being given far too much space to operate in and his second was the pick as a sharp passing found him in the area and in a tight area he made the keeper commit at close quarters as he rounded him to roll the ball into the empty net.
Fracheboud had been frustrated in the previous two fixtures as his endeavour had not resulted in goals, but this powerhouse of a man was able to strike twice to reward him for the work he does for the team.
Captain Ashley Loofe dominated the midfield and David Chaytow was finding more space than normal to utilise his range of passing.
Chaytow and centre half Carl Peters added to the scoreline before half-time, and only a brief lapse of concentration at 6-0 allowed the visitors to respond with a fine strike over keeper Dan Garman.
The second half was a somewhat muted affair with Maccabi never under too much pressure with Alex Lee, 17, and Peters keeping Inter’s strikers mostly under control.
A solitary goal by Leon Huller, who had come off the bench to pick up the ball just inside Inters half and breeze past the defender before firing a fine strike into the bottom left corner of the goal from 20 yards, was the only addition to the scoreline, and McGarvey , although happy with the result , made his feelings known at the end of the game about the way Maccabi did not continue in the second half as they had finished the first.
Much sterner tests face Maccabi than this, and it will be a measure of the players if they can take the lessons learnt during this period and apply them against opposition that will not allow them to play so freely.
The next fixture is November 1 in the League Cup against RVP at Brooklands , kick off 11am.
Maccabi: Garman, Buxton, Lee, Peters, Jacobs, Leker, Loofe, Chaytow, Davidson, Sidle , Fracheboud. Subs: Greene, Huller