Sonning 1st XI 5 – 1 Oxford Hawks 3rd XI

After two promising back to back wins, Sonning entered match week four off the back of a disappointing result away at Wallingford. Hawks have had a mixed bag of results and knowing little about what threat they might pose, the brains trust of Rider and Pursell hammered home the importance of playing the Sonning game, whatever opposition shows up.

Welcoming back Jimmy Manser and Ian Finlayson, Rider went back to a familiar looking starting XI with Finlayson dropping into his preferred central role, and Manser leading the line. Sonning began well and against a ten man Hawks found themselves quickly two goals to the good.

The first goal came from a broken down short corner. Injector Finlayson found himself quickly in the action, turning home a loose ball around chest height from less than a yard. The second followed shortly after, with Ian Gallagher confidently slotting his second penalty stroke of the season, following a rash challenge on Manser by the Hawks keeper.

At 2-0 Sonning were cruising, but Hawks worked their way into the game when their eleventh player (their skipper no less!) showed up around the quarter hour mark. They got a goal playing on the break, with some lapses of concentration leading to missed tackles, ultimately caused by complacency creeping into the Sonning team. The goal was nothing less than Hawks deserved, and the sides finished the first half with the score 2-1 and the game still in the balance.

If Sonning were guilty of complacency in the latter stages of the first half, they could not be accused of the same after Pursell’s half time talk made it known that standards needed lifting. The home side responded accordingly, scoring three goals without reply after the break, and with a much improved performance level.

Jon Sharp tucked away a penalty corner neatly for goal three, following a string of decent saves by the Hawks keeper, while encouragingly the fourth and fifth goals came from pleasing spells of open play. First, Gallagher got his second of the day with a simple finish after a precise, passing move down the right wing, before Manser claimed the final and probably the most eye catching goal of the game. Sonning broke from their own D, transitioning quickly from defence to attack, before Callum Richardson played in Manser with a beautiful under the shoulder cross. Manser made no mistake, and finished with aplomb for 5-1.

Next up, Sonning travel to Harrow to play a side who had a slow start to the season, but following a comfortable win at Wycombe, are sure to pose a stern test. #COTN

Squad: Ben Sully, Neil Pursell, Jonty Rider, Matt Sloper, Nick Leach, Ian Finlayson, Callum Richardson, Ed Williamson, Huw Thomas, James Manser, Noel Plant, James Lockhart, Ian Gallagher, Jon Sharp

Goalscorers: Ian Finlayson, Ian Gallagher x 2, Jimmy Manser, Jon Sharp

MOTM: Callum Richardson

DOTD: Ian Gallagher