JC MSFL PREMIER DIVISION
NORSTAR A 1 LONDON MACCABI LIONS A 4
Two goals from recent signing Lee Cash guided the Lions to their third league win of the season against fellow strugglers Norstar in Harrow.
There were also goals from James Gershfield and defender Nick Landesberg.
At 8-10am this morning, Lions had 11 players available to play the game, including both managers (Andy Landesberg and James Gershfield). Goalkeeper Max Shields pulled out at 4am this morning.
Andy Landesberg took the goalkeeper's jersey, and James Gershfield the no. 5 slot.
What Lions did have was 11 totally committed players that wore their hearts on their sleeves. Cash opened the scoring, superbly lobbing the keeper to finish off a quality move. Despite having much of the possession Lions failed to improve on the score and went in at half time with a slender lead.
Again Lions continued to create many chances but failed to convert. After about 20 minutes a Lions corner was headed on by Gershfield and his defensive partner Nick Landesberg volleyed in from five yards. 2-0 Lions.
The veteran Andy Landesberg continued to keep Norstar out, but a defensive lapse allowed Norstar back in and Adam Kaldor made it 2-1. The momentum now switching to the ever more confident Norstar.
Norstar continued to press, and a 20-yard shot from a Norstar midfielder seemed destined for the bottom left corner, but Landesberg had other ideas, diving across from the right-hand side of his goal and made a one-handed save to keep Lions in front.
An unfortunate sending off for a second booking for a Norstar forward gave Lions the edge. The visitors capitalised on their numerical advantage with a run from Max Kyte on the edge of the Norstar box producing a foul and a penalty for Lions, Gershfield stepped up and converted the penalty and it was 3-1 Lions.
Lions turned the screw and a superb diving header from Cash finished a high quality five-man move. Perhaps Lions should have had more but all in all a game that showed what a great spirit this Lions team has.
Lions joint-player-manager Andy Landesberg told JC Sport: "This was a superb effort by 11 Lions, who had their backs against the wall at the kick off, they showed what this team is all about, they gave 100 per cent and more, every one of them, and the Norstar players thought that perhaps this was going to be their day.
"Never under-estimate a Lions team, especially when they look like they could be weak."
