Pearl sparkles as Lions reach round three

It became clear that this wasn't a game to play neat passing football through midfield, and the fact Lions adapted so well was most pleasing. Scott Levy and Matty Kleinman worked relentlessly to break up play and then left it to combinations of Max Radford, Hadley Silver and Brad Lazarus to make things happen up top where Paul Lenchner, with Pearl just off him, were tasked with rounding things off.

Lions created a few good opening, but the sticky pitch saw most efforts lack the power and accuracy to trouble the keeper. However, Silver's clipped ball in to Rayner saw the defender's shot on the run brilliantly saved before moments later Silver again flashed one across the face of goal that was crying out for a Lions touch.

The lead though wasn't to be denied them long. Reuben broke up a BH attack and fed Levy on halfway. He strode forward a yard before delivering a long ball into the heart of the defence. Lenchner peeled off his man and from the edge of the box met the ball with a terrific header that looped over the keeper and into the net.

BH responded well, but Brad Lee in the Lions goal wasn't forced into any serious action, although a missed punch and mis-control from Rayner did lead to the odd heart-stopping moment.....but their goal remained intact.

After a fast start again in which only an over zealous linesman and a not spotted handball wrongly stopped Lions, BH came back into things as they noticeably upped the tempo. Strong in the challenge and quicker to the loose ball, they asked more questions of Lions than they had to date. Although poor from a Lions perspective, it was with the run of play that they equalised on the hour mark.

The response to losing the goal though was first class. Lions snapped back into the tackle and wrestled back control of the game, and they re-took the lead soon after with a gem. Lenchner chased down the keeper forcing a rushed clearance. He nodded into the path of Lazarus on the left a great turn back created half a yard which he used to deliver a delightful cross between keeper and penalty spot that Pearl ran on to to guide a peach of a glancing header into the bottom corner.

A Lazarus volley from the edge of the box was beaten out, Pearl slipped when well placed and another strong penalty shout was turned away as Lions pushed for a decisive third. But it didn't come.

The hosts pressed one last time. A deep cross though eluded everyone. Reuben picked it up and played it up to halfway where Lenchner guided a header into the path of Levy. He pushed past the covering man and was away down the right. As he reached the box he looked up and drove in a perfect cross that Pearl met on the run with a crisp half volley that left the keeper no chance and Lions into the hat for round three.

LIONS: Brad Lee, Craig Henry, Danny Reuben, Adam Myeroff, Jon Rayner, Scott Levy, Matty Kleinman, Max Radford, Hadley Silver (sub: Brad Lazarus), Craig Pearl, Paul Lenchner