MIDDLESEX COUNTY CUP ROUND ONE
MACCABI LONDON LIONS 7 TEDDINGTON 2

A quite brilliant four-goal salvo from skipper Bradley Lazarus set Lions on their way to this emphatic victory in this first round defence of the Middx County Cup title they won back in April last year.

Aside from the injured Alex Levack, it was the same group that saw off Tring last week that turned out for Lions here, Dan Jacobs though shuffling his pack a little, with Hadley Silver deployed a little deeper, the pace of Tony Gold and trickery of Max Radford expected to do the business out wide for the hosts. After the minutes silence, Lions were on it from the off, pegging back the visitors who had their excellent goalkeeper to thanks for keeping them in it early on.

But the home crowd didn’t have to wait too long for the opener. Awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box, Lazarus laid down his personal marker for the day by whipping in a low ball around the outside of the wall that skimmed off the surface and simply flew into the bottom corner leaving the keeper not a chance.

He almost doubled the lead, latching onto Gold’s pass he attempted an audacious chip on the run that only a marvellous full-stretch save was able to deny. But denied for long he couldn’t be. Matt Kleinman won ball for the umpteenth time and found the galloping run of Jon Rayner. He drew the defender, feeding in Radford who crossed low, Lazarus sliding in at the near post applied the finishing touch.

Moments later and the game was all but over with the goal of the game. A superb two-touch passing move saw Daggers’ great skill buy himself space to execute a fine pass into the path of Gold. He skinned his, man, crossed on the run where that man Lazarus rose to glance a header past the helpless keeper to complete a 30-minute hat-trick.

On came Paul Lenchner and Craig Pearl, who almost immediately combined to further stretch the Lions lead, the latter though denied by yet another fine save. But the fourth soon came, Radford afforded time and space to deliver into the box. Over Lenchner it went but Gold, arriving late, guided a fine right foot volley into the unguarded net.

Defensively Lions had been solid as ever, with no way past Rob Glass, Adam Myeroff, Rayner or Adam Harvey, so Teddington had to resort to the odd long-ranger, one of which saw Rob Abrahams stretched to the limit to palm away. But the Lions stopper will have been annoyed at conceding right on the half-time whistle, a rushed clearance giving the Teddington striker the time and space he needed to pull one back.

But this was little more than a blip. Lions created chances a plenty, Lenchner denied a hat-trick of his own by the giant Teddington keeper.

The fifth arrived via the boot of Radford, turning home from close range after more good work down the Lions left.

Goal six was Lazarus' fourth, curling home a beauty from fully 25 yards that whizzed into the very top corner. It was really a case now of how many, the game having little or no shape. Caught with everyone upfield Teddington’s No. 9 got himself a deserved goal for his hard work, but Lions responded immediately, Reuben sent clear saw his shot saved, Lenchner picking up the loose ball and firing home.

A visit to the excellent Holyport who they have faced in each of the last two seasons in this competition awaits in the next round, but it’s league action at Winchmore Hill for the side next week.

LIONS: Rob Abrahams, Jon Rayner, Tony Gold, Adam Myeroff, Rob Glass, Adam Harvey, Hadley Silver, Danny Daggers, Brad Lazarus, Max Radford. Subs: Craig Pearl, Paul Lenchner, Dan Reuben

GOALS: Lazarus (4), Gold, Radford, Lenchner