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| Saturday 02 September 2006 East Court 6 Lindfield II 3 After an encouraging pre-season East Court finally opened their league campaign with victory over Lindfield II thanks to goals from Ross Kelly (2), Carl Zimmatore (2), Billy Denyer and Ben Sunderland. Skipper Simon Nickols and defender Adam Shillibeer were unavailble for selection and with Stuart Moseley suspended East Court could only name 13 in their matchday squad. East Court started the stronger of the two sides but struggled to break down the visitng defence and it took a mistake from Lindfield's left back to create their first real chance. Sunderland pounced on the loose ball and coolly slotted past the keeper. Keeper Dan Lamprell had to be alert at the other end to palm away a deflected shot but it was an isolated incident as Court maintained control. Denyer had a goal disallowed for offside but it was only a temporary reprieve before Kelly made it two. Sunderland profited from a second defensive lapse but his shot was pushed away by the Lindfield keeper, Kelly took a touch to steady himself before tucking the ball away. Lindfield pulled a goal back from a free-kick after Richard Hayes was adjudged to have bought his man down on the edge of the area. Court regained a two goal advantage with a goal on the break. Hayes won control of the ball and released Buckler down the left, he moved the ball inside to Denyer who fired past the keeper. The first-half action still wasn't over as Lindfield pulled a goal back from inside their own half, a dropkick from the edge of his area by keeper Dan Lamprell was lashed straight back over his head into the empty net. The home side extended their lead once again minutes into the second half, Sunderland crossed from the right and Nizam's man-of-the-match Zimmatore bundled the ball home from close range to open his account for the club. Lindfield were more competitive than in the first half but were still unable to cause problems for the home defence of Andy Wright, Dan Medcalf, Mark Champion and Nick Palmer. East Court had a strong penalty claim turned down but the referee waved it away before giving Lindfield a way back into the game from a penlty of their own. A Lindfield free-kick was played into the box and Hayes pulled his man down. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and the ball was duly dispatched past Lamprell into the back of the net. Lindfield had a chance to equalise when Lamprell slipped when coming out to clear a throughball but he got enough on the ball to end the strikers run. Eventually East Court scored a fifth to finally take the wind out of Lindfield's sails. Wright threw the ball in from the right hand side, Zimmatore flicked it on for Kelly to head high into the corner of the net. Soon after it was six as Zimmatore scored from a Sunderland cross. Team: D.Lamprell, A.Wright, N.Palmer, R.Hayes, D.Medcalf, M.Champion, B.Sunderland, C.Zimmatore, R.Kelly, B.Denyer, C.Buckler Subs Not Used: P.Bishop, J.Nickols |