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Saturday 7th December

Victory sends Parms top of table

Old Parmiterians knew that two victories from their two away fixtures before the winter break would most likely take them top, but that outcome came a week earlier due to Lea Valley's loss at Minchendenians. Valley's loss would still have counted for little if the reserves had not taken the points in Wembley, a notoriously difficult ground to go to. A sluggish start did not help either, as the visitors looked lucky to have a goal line decision go in their favour, before an early penalty was given away and the clean sheet surrendered all by the fifth minute. Henry Williams and Zach Harry then stepped up the gears in an attempt to rouse their team, as Manorians tried to press players into mistakes across the pitch. On 14 minutes the visitors gave their reply, as Harry used a line breaking pass from Adam Newman to flick it up with his right, then volley over his head with his left into the path of James White. White's calm finish into the far bottom corner was precise and began a period of domination for the visitors. Chris Kane and Mehdi Krissane's probing passes had the hosts pinned in their own half, as Williams, Harry, Josep Mari and Chralie Heath operated in small pockets of space and beating opponents from impossible situations. On one such occasion Harry nugtmegged a Manorians defender to open the space behind him, before feeding Mari into the box to shoot. Despite the keeper's best efforts the ball trickled over the line. The same two combined a few minutes later, as Harry drew the defence to him, only to feed Mari to shoot, but the latter elected to beat a defender and then serve the ball on a plate for Harry, who thumped in his team's third. More chances followed, with Mari and White both having efforts saved, and Harry having a couple blocked, but the trajectory of the game was in the visitors' favour. A second half onslaught seemed almost inevitable, and Manorians began to push for a goal to get themselves back in the game. Parms had chance on the break but couldn't take any, with the nerves starting to set in as the fell further back. It was at this point that Harry took the game by the scruff of the neck, as the visitors' high press saw Harry win the ball for himself and race through to score. Manorians then pulled one back that looked to be offside, but stood. Heath then had a sensational miss having rounded the keeper, only to miss the target. Harry fed Heath again though to race through and restore the three goal advantage and a buffer that looked like it had won the game. However, the referee again allowed a dubious goal for the hosts that looked an even more obviously offside than the one before. The visitors managed to hold firm to take the three points, which along with other results will see them top at Christmas whatever the result next week. They will travel to Bealonians in search of another three points to stretch their lead at the top.