MGBSFL DIVISION ONE
LOS BLANCOS 3 NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS B 7
Jonathan Adelman insists there is more to come from his team after last season's Division Two champions put Los Blancos to the sword at West Hendon Playing Fields.
Jake Gilbert's second successive league hat-trick was the highlight of a rampant Raiders, with Dan Grossman (2) and Nick Woolf adding the gloss.
Raiders had fallen behind to a superb 15th minute strike from Simon Moses who cut in from the right before finding the top corner past stand-in keeper Ben Cherkas. Cherkas then showed calm handling to keep the deficit to a single goal as Raiders took some time to settle.
Gradually Raiders upped the tempo and on 28 minutes Nick Woolf slid a throughball towards the run of David Esterkin, but Gilbert nipped in from the blindside, rounded Nick Grosse and slipped home the equaliser.
The goal galvanised the men in Orange who proceeded to rip through the home side with three more goals in 12 minutes. First an Anthony Goodmaker long throw was glanced home by Dan Grossman before a slick exchange of passes between Woolf and Mike Hershman released Gilbert who strode through to round Grosse and stroke home his second.
Gilbert's hat-trick was yet another goal of the season contender and arguably better than his outrageous bicycle kick in Raiders' previous game. Adam Posner, who impressed again in centre midfield, drilled his corner to the far edge of the D where Gilbert met the ball full on the volley to send it crashing home courtesy of the underside of the bar.
Raiders' 4-1 half time lead was extended on 54 when another Goodmaker long throw was once again given the Grossman treatment, the centre back then turned provider on 62 seeing his cross turned in to his own net by a defender after great work by Jacob Gold.
At 6-1 Raiders eased off the gas and Blancos proceeded to pull two goals back, first a penalty from Darren Russell and then a second well taken goal by Moses.
The final word, however, went to Raiders' skipper Woolf who latched on to the end of sub Andrew McMaster's cross, and having seen his first effort spilled by Grosse, the striker followed up to tap home Raiders seventh.
Raiders manager Jonathan Adelman said: "There were a lot of positives today, David Rhodes got 60 minutes under his belt after five months out, Ben Cherkas came in in goal and looked very solid, and we are beginning to look potent going forward.
"That said we still have plenty of room for improvement ahead of next week's game against Bilbaum.
"As for Jake Gilbert, he is a nightmare for the opposition, if they get tight he can turn and outpace them, if they give him space he'll punish them with goals like today's volley. If they double up on him they leave space for Jacob Gold and Nick Woolf.
"It's taken a few games to find our feet in this Division, but we are beginning to find our rhythm, but undoubtedly there's more to come from us."
Blancos boss Jonathan Ison told JC Sport: "The one shining light of Sunday's result was the return of Simon Moses up front, after years honing his skills elsewhere. He took his first goal very well and we look forward to him hitting the headlines in future weeks.
"Otherwise I am very disappointed with the result. Too many individual errors cost us, not winning key battles all over the pitch.
"It's tough when you're playing a "B" side that have a number of "A" players in their team, but truth is that we should have been stronger, and for that we only have ourselves to blame.
"I believe we will turn this around, we just need a bit of lady luck on our side."
