FT: 10-1

League game / Raynes Park

Subs: Lazar Handzhiyski, Rafa Portezan, Jude Smith

Goalscorers: James Croft (x5), Ross Casserly (x3), Matt Jackson, Lazar Handzhiyski

MOM: James Croft

Saturday… 25th November… 2017… a date now etched into annals of the borough of Earlsfield’s long and illustrious history.

Why? One word, ten times… goals, goals, goals! Earlsfield FC are now in the double-digit club after a comprehensive 10-1 league victory over AFC Saints.

How you ask? Well let me tell you…

The scene was set… Raynes Park, 1pm KO… gameweek 8 in the league for Crowns, who after losing out on top-spot to early-season rivals Kiwi last week, were out for revenge.

And it was a fantastic start for the boys in Purple with big Stuart McGunnigle firing a delicious ball from his left back position over the Saints defence and perfectly into the path of the on-rushing right winger James Croft who, with a few deft touches, had the ball in the back of the net. Cue Griezmann celebration. 1-0.

The floodgates were already well and truly open as Croft swiftly bagged again after Ross Casserly played him through with a defence splitting pass that left him with only the keeper to beat, to which the man duly obliged. 2-0.

A red card for the Saints followed the 2nd goal, with arguably another deserved for another off the ball incident right in front of the referee shortly afterwards going unpunished. The Crowns kept their cool though and went into the half-time break 5-0 up after 2 more goals from Croft and Matt Jackson also joining the party by slotting a Croft cross home at the back post. Half-time. 5-0.

After calls for 10 coming from the gaffer at half-time, the second half started slowly for the boys in purple. Although unchallenged at the back, a laboured pace to the game meant that there wasn’t much to report during the opening skirmishes after the break.

However, this all changed once Casserly once again parted the defence with another killer through ball to Croft resulting in the winger being brought down in the box and a penalty being awarded to Earlsfield. With 4 goals already in the bag, that man Croft stepped up and smashed it down the middle. 6-0.

After claiming his 5th of the game, Croft passed the goal-scoring baton onto his forward-partner Casserly who claimed a speedy hat-trick. One goal the result of a clever ball over the top from Rafael Portrizan and 2 from Croft who was continuing to put in a huge shift on the right-wing. 9-0.

And it was the Big man himself, Lazar Handzhiyski, who smashed the ball in off the bar from yet another Croft cross to claim the Earlsfield tenth. 10-0.

So what would you do at 10-0? Nothing stupid that’s for sure! Well not if you’re player-coach Portezan. If you’re that guy you decide to give a last minute penalty away to relinquish the clean sheet and add nasty blotch on the scoresheet. With the last kick of the game, the Saints slotted home their penalty and that was that. 10-1. Full-time.

By Ross Casserly