OLD SOUTHENDIANS: 1
HARPENDEN: 6
22.01.05

Harpended brought out one of their best performances of the season to leapfrog Old Southendians in the league.

Harpenden were put under pressure in the opening exchanges of the match but soon recovered and went on to convincingly outplay their opponents. Mike Emes scored the team’s first, and his first of four. Emes’ short corner strike was half saved by the keeper and the Old Southendians postman was unable to clear the lobbed deflection which landed in the back of the goal.

Harpenden didn’t have to wait long for their second. A low Emes drag flick placed in the bottom left of the goal left the keeper with no chance and it was soon looking like it was going to be Harpenden’s day.

The third came from open play. Russ Timms slotted the ball home into an empty net from a well worked defence splitting Harpenden move. The talk at half time was of more of the same but Harpenden took this a bit too literally with another slow start. Old Southendians made it 3-1 from the flick spot after a deflected short corner strike that hit David Jeffrey’s foot instead of the backboard of the Harpenden goal resulted in the stroke being awarded.

Old Southendians had a chance to get back into the game but Emes’ hatrick goal sealed the result. Almost identical to his second goal, Captain, Emes drag flicked the ball low and to the left, once again leaving the keeper with no chance. Harpenden pushed forward, hungry for more goals, knowing that the result was safe. The fifth came through Alistair Hutson from a smart move that left Hutson with yards of space in the dee to slot the ball home.

Number six was an exact copy of Emes’ previous two drag flicks and on any other day would surely have been enough to seal the man of the match award but not today as the Champagne was awarded to Lance Boyd Clark for his instrumental brilliance in the middle of the park.

Harpenden will need to keep this good form going if they are to keep within touching distance of a promotion spot in the weeks to come.

Skipper Mike Emes: Four-goal hero