Sat 19th Jan: Premier Division
Orpington 7
J.Hughes (2)
A.Weir (2)
G.Gorman
M.Lewis
B.Webb
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Sheerness East 0
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Orpington returned to league action after a gap of nearly two months. But they showed that they hadn't lost their appetite for second spot by easily overcoming Sheerness East.
The East may feel that the score-line was a little harsh on a side who created several chances including striking the under-side of the O's cross-bar and who also showed more than a glimpse of flowing attacking football.
However, Orpington took the lead after only two minutes when Billy Webb scored direct from a right-sided corner. The East didn't let the early set-back knock their confidence and honours looked about even until the twentieth minute when Orpington doubled their lead. Again a Billy Webb corner was the visitor's undoing - this time it was Anthony Weir who had time at the far-post to control and place his shot wide of Paul Woodford in the East goal.
Sheerness came close to pulling a goal back but Ciaran Aldous's run from deep and shot from twenty-five yards was just off-target. Orpington added a third on the half-hour when Gary Gorman sprinted clear of his marker and coolly finished from the edge of the penalty area with the outside of his right-foot.
Three-nil might be game over with some teams but the East probably felt that if they could get one back before the break they could get back in it. Matt Harding's accurate pass picked out Jamie Salvidge and his turn and shot from just inside the penalty area was narrowly wide. Glen Sheather also came close for the visitors on the stroke of half-time but his long-range effort was off-target.
The East continued to press at the start of the second-half and Graham Andrews was unlucky when he saw his shot from twenty yards come back off the under-side of the O's cross-bar.
Having survived East's rejuvenated efforts to claw their way back into the game, Orpington added a fourth - Rob Quick's deep cross to the far-post headed home by Anthony Weir. This seemed to finally kill off Sheerness and Orpington looked like scoring every time they got the ball. A fifth goal on seventy-eight minutes was perhaps the pick of the bunch - Jamie Hughes to Gary Gorman back to Jamie Hughes out on the right and his cross to the far-post was headed home by Mark Lewis.
Two further attempts by East to crack the O's defence went unrewarded - Salvidge finding the side-netting and Russell Jeffreys's attempted was too high.
But the O's managed to find the East net on two more occasions both by Jamie Hughes - first when he cleverly diverted Rob Quick's shot (the culmination of another flowing move) and finally when he converted from close range.
Orpington hope to continue their league programme next week away to Bromley Green.
Orpington: Nicky Blue, George Belchamber, Danny Gorman, Byron Beard, Jamie Hughes, Dave Johnson, Adam Ellson (Mark Lewis, 64), Billy Webb (Danny Taylor), Gary Gorman, Anthony Weir; subs not used: Perry Belchamber, Adam Noad, Josh Hawkins.
Sheerness East: Paul Woodford, Matt Harding, Darren Brown (Craig Holland, 72), Dale Wicketts (John Baylis, 72), Ciaran Aldous, Gary Russon, John Martin, Russell Jeffreys, Jamie Salvidge, Graham Andrews (Ben O'Neil, 72), Glen Sheather.
Phil Alder - Orpington FC |
