Local Football: Muscat Storm has it easy against Bangor
Date
8/29/2016 1:29:37 AM
Muscat Storm continued its excellent start to the season with an impressive performance against HMS Bangor on Tuesday.
Last time the two sides met, Storm had to battle for a slender win. But this time round, the home team completely dominated its opponent, scoring an 8-2 win. Storm's manager Lee Ebbutt made one change to the line-up, with newcomer Jamie Beddows coming into central defence. The first 15 minutes saw HMS Bangor enjoy most of the possession, and Storm was on the back foot. But the home side's defence stood strong and the possibility of a goal from a corner was firmly dealt with by Marco Bonato. Storm's first real attack came on the counter when Adrian Brindley played in Malchus Hilton, who powered ahead and pulled the ball back for his strike partner Mark Lennon, who then finished clinically to put Storm into a 1-0 lead. From this moment, the home team took full control, also playing some attractive football. Bangor was struggling to contain Oli Myhill and Johnny Murphy, who were controlling the midfield and moving the ball quickly. Lennon benefited from Myhill's splitting pass for the second goal, as he rounded two tackles and slid the ball under the keeper. Moments later, Hilton got his first goal - and Storm its third - from a corner as he out jumped above the visiting defence to nod home. Hilton was on the mark again in the 40th minute when he cut inside and unleashed a shot that flew past the keeper, making it 4-0. Storm was caught out with minutes to go in the first half. Despite Dave McCurrach's last-ditch tackle, the ball fell into the path of Mark Robertson, who tapped in the visitors' first goal.
The second half saw Storm score three quick goals to put the game well out of HMS Bangors reach, as the scoreline read 7-1 in no time. Lennon's third goal was the pick of the game, as the visiting keeper's clearance fell to his feet, and he thumped in a 35-yard shot to leave the keeper stranded. His fourth goal came quickly after, as he chased down the ball, nicking it away from the last defender and racing away to round the keeper. Storm kept pushing, but Bangor wanted a second goal and it caught out the home side when the ball was lobbed into the box. In the confusion, Robertson got his second goal, as he was around to tap in his second strike for Bangor. The home sides response was immediate, as some smart touch-football between Joe Bunn and Murphy released youngster K G Mangoegape, who sliced through the onrushing defenders, slotting it home for a 7-2 lead. The game finished with a dominant Storm scoring an eighth goal when Lennon released Ebbutt, whose first-time shot rocketed in, leaving the keeper no chance. Ebbutt said after the win, 'Today's result was fantastic, it came against a team that was stronger than the one we faced last week. We played attractive football and we looked clinical when we attacked.'