Match Report: Saturday 18th October 2008
Hambleden 8  v AFC Amersham 2


After the embarrassing 7-1 drubbing at the hands of AC Marlow the previous week, Hambleden were hoping for a better performance when they welcomed fellow league strugglers AFC Amersham to the Dene on Saturday.

And it didn't take them long to take the lead; with 4 minutes gone, Adam North's corner found Nikolai Lakovic.  His first shot was blocked, but the rebound fell kindly to Jamal Maknin who drove a low shot into the corner.  Then on 22 minutes, a defence splitting pass from Stuart Stephen sent Kenrick Gordon racing clean through and he coolly slotted left footed past the advancing Amersham keeper.

On 28 minutes Gordon got his second; a slick move down Hambleden's right saw Maknin play in Adam Markwell, who then played the ball wide for Chris Brunning; he cut inside his marker to square for Gordon who hit a right footed shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

The fourth goal followed a failed Amersham corner on 35 minutes.  Hambleden keeper Michael Clarke gathered the cross and sent the ball down field with a quick thinking punt.  It found Markwell who headed down to Marcus Cook and his precise pass put Markwell back through, who then beat the keeper to score his first of the season.  Half-time 4-0.

2 minutes into the second half Hambleden's keeper Clarke, who until now had had a fine game, made a complete hash of a back-pass; he was charged down by Amersham's Chris Beaumont; the rebound fell kindly for his strike partner Michael Small who rolled the ball into the empty net.

Hambleden re-established their four goal lead on 60 minutes, when a left wing cross from Markwell found North who drifted in unmarked at the near post for his first goal for Hambleden.

Then just past the hour mark, young American striker Gordon completed his hat-trick; a crunching tackle on the edge of Amersham's box left him on the ground, but he controlled the ball on the deck, got up and dribbled past two defenders and smashed the ball into the far corner of the goal.

Steve Sanashee rounded off the demolition of Amersham with a brace; the first on 65 minutes was a shot from the edge of the penalty box which deflected past the keeper, and the second was on 79 minutes.  In between Amersham did manage a second themselves from Small after another slip-up in Hambleden's defence.  Final score 8-2.

Hambleden entertain Red Lion (Wooburn) tomorrow, kick-off 2.30 pm.

TEAM : Clarke (Coles 82), J.Rodrigues, North, Lakovic (capt), Brunning, Maknin, S.Stephen, Sanashee, Marcus Cook, Markwell, Gordon (Clarke 82).  Sub not used : Francis.