BRIDON ROPES 0 – 5 CROYDON  FC

Injuries forced a changed defensive central pairing and early on, Bridon looked as though they might cause them some problems. The hosts headed over on seven before Croydon almost caused themselves problems with a fatuous appeal for offside, the danger being averted by conceding a corner which was headed back across and over the bar.

Croydon did settle and started putting some attacking moves together, only a reaction save from the home custodian keeping them at bay. Tayler Maddock turned and shot on twenty-seven, his effort being deflected for a corner. Sam Morgan hit the flag-kick to the far post from where Uli Fischer side-footed home.

On thirty-two, a useful move down the left flank ended with another Fischer effort going out for a corner. A goalkeeping error four minutes later created the opening for Lauris Chin to shoot only for the coup de grace to be executed by a defender who hammered the ball home.

It took just four minutes after the restart for Ropes fragile confidence to be shattered with a move down the left flank. The ball was played low on the eighteen yard line to Harvey Morton who shot inside the far upright.

Whilst the hosts didn’t give up, the momentum was with the Trams who started to ring the changes. On seventy, Richard White charged forwards and laid the ball to Charlie Gee who shot over.

The goal of the game came three minutes later when Maddock let fly from thirty-yards with all the subtlety of a charging rhino, his drive leaving the custodian flailing at thin air as the ball nestled behind him.

Lazy defending saw Ropes almost reduce the deficit with a good move down their right flank, a close range effort being tipped onto the crossbar by George Kamurasi. And finally, in time added on, with the home team reeling on the ropes, they messed up a corner and White charged upfield, laying the ball off to Jordan Samuels who shot home for a fifth.