U9 Vipers
In their last league fixture of 2007, Rotherfield proved too strong for newly promoted Burghfield, winning by five goals to one.
The Vipers opened the scoring in the second minute with a lovely passing move which saw the ball move from Adam Fearnside to Liam Ruiz and then to Jack Stevens at the far-post who made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
Fearnside added a second goal just minutes later after a run from the half-way line, and then Stevens made it three with a quickly taken free-kick which caught Burghfield unawares. Rotherfield were knocking the ball around well and creating a series of chances; Nick Swan hit the post and then Owen Lowe was unlucky first to see a header fly just inches over the bar, and then later have a shot come back off the post.
After the interval, Stevens capped a fine performance by completing his hat-trick after forcing the ball home from amidst a goalmouth melee. Burghfield kept battling away though and grabbed a goal back with ten minutes to go, but the Vipers continued to press and Ruiz almost added a fifth with a top corner strike which was brilliantly saved by the Burghfield goalie.
Isaac Hylton, Jack Williams and Kalhan Shah were keeping things tidy at the back, with Williams making some very well timed tackles in the closing stages.
Fearnside did eventually put the result beyond any doubt, adding a scrappy fifth which was made more notable by virtue of it being his 100th Rotherfield goal. Morgan Green hit the crossbar right at the death, but 5-1 was the final score.
Photos (thanks Tom)
Squad
Isaac Hylton, Jack Williams, Kalhan Shah, Liam Ruiz, Adam Fearnside, Owen Lowe, Nick Swan, Morgan Green, Jack Stevens