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| Saturday 25 February 2006 East Court 11 Lewes Bridgeview II 0 East Court and Lewes Bridgeview II started the day level on points but 90 minutes and 11 goals later the difference between the two teams was easy to see. With Nick Palmer unavailable Andy Wright returned to the starting eleven, albeit in an unfamiliar left back role. The rest of the team was the same side that beat Fletching 3-2 in the Somerville Cup the week before. East Court were quickly into their stride and found themselves 3-0 up within five minutes. Within the first minute right back Daniel Medcalf latched onto a loose ball and played Carl Buckler in behind the defence. The keeper saved his initial effort but Buckler followed up to slot home. A minute later Ross Kelly opened his account for the day after good work by Ben Sunderland. Top scorer Billy Denyer then got in on the act as he latched onto a long kick from keeper Dan Lamprell to fire home the third. Denyer was proving a constant danger to the visiting defence and from a throw-in on the left he twisted into space and tested the keeper from an acute angle when perhaps he should have squared it to the unmarked Kelly and Sunderland. Denyer then added a fourth after good work from Richard Hayes in midfield. Bridgeview rarely threatened in the first half but midfielder Lee Champion had to be alert to stop one raid with a crunching tackle on the visiting striker to clear the ball. At the other end Denyer fed Medcalf on half-way who raced away beyond the defence, his initial effort was well saved by the keeper but the ball eventually broke to Medcalf again and he lifted the ball over the stranded keeper from the edge of the area. Before half-time it was six as Kelly bundled the ball home from close range. There was still time for Denyer to miss a great chance to complete his hattrick as he saw his shot ricochet off the post when put clean through on the keeper. The home side seemed complacent in the opening minutes of the second half and only a good save from Lamprell at full stretch diving away to his right kept the clean sheet intact. It wasn't long before East Court reasserted their dominance on the game as Denyer completed his hattrick from a right wing cross. Denyer was then fouled in the area and Champion stepped up to smash the ball home from the spot. It was to be his last act as he was subsequently substituted for Paul Bishop. Buckler added the ninth with a fine volley into the far corner of the net following a half-cleared corner before Denyer wrapped it up with two more goals after good work from Kelly and Sunderland respectively. During the second half Adam Shillibeer made way for Chris Butler to make only his second appearance of the season after another good display at the heart of the East Court defence alongside skipper Simon Nickols. Team: D.Lamprell, D.Medcalf, A.Wright, R.Hayes, S.Nickols, A.Shillibeer (C.Butler), B.Sunderland, L.Champion (P.Bishop), R.Kelly, B.Denyer, C.Buckler |