Mid
Line up: Kane Kellaway, Jake Beattie, David Smith, Liam Godfrey, David Kilcoyne, Ahmed Sfagsi, Tom Ashton, David Bromhead, Zak Pickett, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.
Subs: Ryan Chinn.
Richard was down to the bones of his squad for today’s home game against Lee Rangers, with defenders Michael Sawbridge and Josh Harrigan missing along with Miles Hodge, Kelvin Bagot, and the injured Daryl Winter and Ryan Dennis.
David Smith had to be woken up and driven to the game by his manager just fifteen minutes before the game, otherwise Ford would have been struggling for a back four. As it was CFY were left with just the one sub and Liam was drafted into the defence along side Smith to fill Sawbridge’s absence.
Lee Rangers, who held Chandlers Ford to a 4-4 draw when the sides last met, opened the scoring when the referee overlooked a foul on Michael Wall just inside the penalty area and as play continued, Rangers broke away up the pitch at speed and slotted past Kane.
Jozef Montigue hit back with a quick reply for the hosts following a perfectly-weighted lofted pass over the defence from Tom Ashton. Montigue held off his marker before lifting the ball over the keeper’s head and into the net with a fine finish.
The visitors soon restored their lead much to Ford’s surprise, who once again had to dig deep to draw level. David Bromhead provided that second equalising goal with a lovely left foot volley that gave the keeper absolutely no chance.
For a third time, Rangers again went ahead only for CFY to follow the same pattern and go in at the break on a level footing at 3-3. Ashton became Chandlers Ford’s third scorer of the game when he charged down the Rangers defence in the penalty area before winning the ball and smashing home.
HALF TIME: CFY 3-3 Lee Rangers
Zak Pickett got the home side off to the perfect start early in the second half with two goals inside the space of three minutes. His first saw him weave past a handful of players scrambling into the six-yard box and slotting the ball low to the keeper’s right to put Ford ahead for the first time in the game, and from here they never looked back.
Pickett finished from close range to open up the gap and provide a bit of breathing space at 5-3, before Joe grabbed his second of the game finishing well as Lee Rangers found themselves 6-3 down in the blink of an eye and not really knowing what had hit them.
Chandlers Ford just kept coming and piling on the pressure and just kept finding the back of the net, time after time looking so at ease and in control, showing just why they have been top of the table for so long and favourites to win the division this season.
Ashton scored again, before Michael Wall and Liam Godfrey both got in on the act as well in this ‘goal-difference boosting exercise’ that the game had suddenly become for Richard’s side.
Lee Rangers looked a completely different side this half, uninterested with heads going down after the first couple of goals against them after the restart, and Chandlers Ford capitalised on this punishing their opponents in a goal-blitz rampage in a fifteen minute spell. Kane might as well have had the rest of the game off as he didn’t have a save to make, which he can have his defence to thank for who all just got on with their jobs professionally right to the end.
Liam in particular was a commanding force winning everything in the air, and considering he was drafted in at the last minute to play at the back – his performance was faultless.
Another ‘unsung hero’ was Ahmed Sfagsi who battled away in the midfield constantly and kept possession well when he won the ball.
Both Zak and Tom went on to complete their hat tricks in style with superb strikes. Zak’s was probably the pick of the bunch due to the fine team build up play that saw the ball knocked across the front line from right to left before Pickett controlled expertly before picking out the top right hand corner of goal with a volley of the highest quality.
Man of the match Tom Ashton sealed the win with his third goal and Ford’s eleventh to complete the rout and seal CFY's most comprehensive and high scoring win of the season, before Montigue was denied a hat trick late on for an offside decision against him.
FULL TIME: CFY 11-3 Lee Rangers
Man of the match: Tom Ashton
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