London Lions boosted their HSCL Premier Division title hopes after securing a valuable 2-0 away win at fellow high-flyers Wormley Rovers.
Goals from Adam Stolerman and James Gershfield did the damage in a stunning first-half display.
Travelling to Wormley two days after the controversial 2-2 draw at Met Police Bushey, the Lions blew the hosts away with an exhilarating display in the opening 45 minutes.
Still missing the injured Rob Glass, Lee Cash, Andy Myers and Jon Ellis, Lions just managed to get 13 players together 85 per cent of whom were playing their third game in five days.
On a bright, warm sunny day Lions stuck out like a sore thumb wearing their yellow florescent away kit. The rock hard pitch was not conducive to good football but the Lions got into their stride almost immediately, taking the fight to their hosts.
James Gershfield and Dean Nyman were a constant threat, with their energy ensuring a torrid test for the Wormley full-backs. Lions had an out ball every time which allowed top-scorer Adam Stolerman to make a menace of himself down the middle.
Danny Berg applied his mantle, doing a great marking job on Wormley’s skipper and ball player allowing him no time to breathe.
On top and playing full of confidence, Stolerman opened the scoring with a strike that personified why he tops the league goal charts. One on one with his marker, he flipped the ball over his head, ghosted past the same player and evaded the on-rushing keeper by dinking the ball round him before calmly slotting the ball home into the empty net. It was a goal worthy of the occasion.
In full flow, the Lions continued to dominate although Wormley did threaten on occasions. One soon became two thanks to some great improvisation from Gershfield. Chasing what seemed to be a lost cause, he somehow managed to chase down a backpass, reaching the ball before the Wormley keeper. He somehow managed to dink the ball over and into the goal.
Lions did not want the half to end and probably should have killed the game off when Nyman spurned an opening when well placed but they settled for what they had and what was an excellent half.
Knowing full well that Wormley would come out blazing in the second-half, the Lions had to be at their very best defensively to divert any trouble. The hosts were unlucky not to pull a goal back on 65 minutes after great work down their right.
Lions continued to stand firm and in a rare second half attack had a chance to kill the game off but Gershfield’s shot hit the side-netting.
With both sides feeling the tempo of the game, the hot weather and a hard week’s football the game was finally ended by the referee’s whistle in the 93rd minute.
Steve Grenfell, the Lions coach, was delighted with the team’s performance. He said: “After a tough week of constant football that was a very good result. The players have been tested both physically and mentally and have shown great resolve in turning out performance after performance in such a short space of time.
“It is only going to get tougher but at least they now know what to expect and what is required to keep going.”
Lions: Matt Davis, Danny Cole, Adam Myeroff, Guy Morris, Tony Gold, Ben Lauffer, Danny Berg (sub: Ben Lampert), Daniel Stanton, Dean Nyman, Adam Stolerman, James Gershfield. Sub not used: Adam Hakimi
