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The
Hamsters maintained their 100% start to the new
season with a convincing 18-10 victory over the
Tribe. With unavailability's all over the pitch,
Scott McCarthy made three changes from the side
that defeated the Diamonds last week. Neil Kane
made his first appearance in just under three
years in the unorthodox position of goalkeeper,
allowing McCarthy to partner Doug Lane in
defence. Mark Potter made his first Hamsters
appearance of the season alongside Bert Lloyd in
the middle of the park, with Tom Witham coming
into the attack. Ian Simpson, Robert Jones and
Dan Collin all missed out
The
encounter began in similar fashion to the
Hamsters last outing, as a Doug Lane mistake
gifted the visitors the lead. In true Lane
style, his throw in back to Kane was too short,
and it allowed the Tribe forward to round the
advancing goalkeeper and make it 1-0. With their
heads up, the Tribe nearly went 2-0 up, as a
Dougie Lane shot was charged down allowing for a
counter attack to be launched. Luckily for the
Hamsters, Kane was on top of his gain as he
pulled off a fine double save from the resulting
one-on-one. Ollie Spicer made no mistake when he
was presented with his second one-on-one of the
game though, as McCarthy's attempts to pull off
a Cruyff turn when being the last man backfired
in spectacular fashion to present the forward
with the chance to make it 2-0 to the Tribe.
McCarthy
soon made amends though as he scrambled the ball
home from a Bert Lloyd throw in to make it 2-1,
but the Tribe continued to push forward and with
the Hamsters all at sea at the back, Dan
Lawrence was unlucky not to make it 3-1 when his
shot was well gathered by Kane.
The
turning point in the match soon followed though,
as McCarthy scored what is now being claimed as
the greatest goal in Hamsters history. Another
Bert Lloyd throw set the play in motion, as Doug
Lane launched a ball forward for the advancing
player-manager to chase onto, and he let rip
with an unstoppable volley from distance that
flew into the top corner of the net leaving
keeper Ed Haynes with no chance much to the
delight of the Cage crowd.
Kane
was at it again soon after, pulling off another
superb save from Spicer, before Bert Lloyd
scored a cracking solo effort after being played
in by McCarthy to put the home side ahead for
the first time in the match. A long Kane ball
forward then found Witham, who bought the ball
under control superbly before dancing around a
defender and netting his first of the game.
Lloyd then set up Witham again, and he made it
5-2 with another smart finish. Lane then went
close with a trademark long distance drive, and
the assistant manager came close again as his
glancing header from a Witham cross dropped
agonisingly close.
The
Tribe pulled it back to 5-3 though when Potter
casually wandered across the edge of the box
before his attempts to shield the ball off
failed in dramatic fashion as Christian Jones
squared the ball for Spicer to net his second of
the game to the infamous words of "Oh no,
I've norsed that up" from the on-loan
Diamonds man. Jones saved his side down the
other end of the pitch, as a long Kane throw saw
Witham round Haynes, yet somehow the brother of
Hamsters captain Robert somehow managed to
backheel the ball off the line.
Potter
than danced his way through the defence before
setting up Lane who fired just wide thanks to a
deflection, and McCarthy went close to grabbing
his hat-trick when his effort was well saved by
Haynes. Lane and Lloyd then combined well to set
Witham up for his hat-trick at the start of the
second half as he rounded the keeper, and he
added his fourth and the Hamsters 7th after Kane
pushed forward from a corner to claim an assist.
The
camera battery then died, and apart from a
further Potter cock up when passing the ball
straight to a Tribe player and presenting them
with an open goal, and another thunderbolt from
Lane, I can't remember what happened as the
Hamsters romped to an 18-10 victory, with the
final goal totals being five apiece for Witham
and Lloyd, four for McCarthy, two for Lane and
one each for Potter and Kane
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