A ruthless display in front of goal saw Long Crendon rout Chalfont Wasps 6-0 in Hellenic Division 2 East on Saturday.
Rain poured down throughout the ninety minutes but Crendon brightened the day with a goal-laden performance. However, despite enjoying the vast majority of possession, the home side were frustrated early on in their efforts to break the deadlock. James Hawkes was looking the main threat in the first half hour of the game and he tested the Chalfont keeper with a trademark left footed drive, before having a header cleared off the line. On 32 minutes, though, Crendon went ahead. A slick move again found Hawkes in space and his fizzed cross was guided cleverly home by the head of Eliot Farley. Three minutes before half time and Crendon made it two with an absolute stunner, Oli Lethbridge hitting a sensational volley in off the angle of post and bar which left everyone briefly open mouthed.
Half time: 2-0
The two goals seemed to knock the stuffing out of Chalfont and from then on it was really one way traffic. A neat team move found Harry Pettingell on the hour and he flicked home coolly to make it three. On 74 minutes it was four on the day and also four for the season for Nathan Brownsword, as Chalfont failed to clear a corner and he fired home via a deflection. The last ten minutes saw an almost complete barrage on the Chalfont goal and two more goals were added, both to Harry Pettingell as he completed his hat trick. The first was another cool finish after more great work from Hawkes and the matchball was secured with a close range header after Hawkes had again won the initial ball.
Full time: 6-0
Six of the best, then, and manager Ryan Davis was quick to praise his side afterwards. “We have felt that we have let a couple of sides off the hook by missing chances and so it was great to see the boys being so clinical in front of goal. I must say, though, the desire and hunger of the whole team not to concede at the moment is so impressive. We know we have plenty of creativity and attacking threat but we haven’t conceded a league goal since April, which is some achievement, and just gives us such a solid base to build from.”
This Saturday Crendon travel to Buckingham United in the second round of the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup.
Team: Collingwood, B Sykes, Bonwick, T Lethbridge, A Farley (c), Brownsword, E Farley (Hawthorne), H Pettingell, Hawkes, T Sykes, O Lethbridge.
Goals: E Farley, O Lethbridge, H Pettingell 3, Brownsword.
