Double Brace see's Scholars safely through in FA Trophy

Potters Bar Town Fc 4 v 0 Tilbury Fc

The Scholars returned to winning ways with a comfortable win the FA Trophy Preliminary Round against visitors Tilbury Fc thanks to a brace by two different players in each half.

The hosts started brightly as Eion Casey shot wide, and when George Nicholas laid the ball square just outside the penalty area in the 8th minute Andy Lomas’s powerful drive flew just over the visitor’s crossbar.

As much as Tilbury ventured forward a combination of solid defending by Steve Brown and Chris Doyle or some wayward crossing thwarted their attacks.

The scholars took the lead in the 20th minute Chris Doyle winning the ball on the half way line fed Billy Adcock and his probing pass picked out the run of Eion Casey down the right. Casey’s lay back found the run of Michael Murray who coolly curled the ball into the far corner of the net for the opening goal.

Berkeley Laurencin in the home goal had to be alert to gather when Tilbury threatened and the home side continued to press. Michael Murray very nearly returned the favour to Eion Casey when his through ball saw Casey just clear in the penalty area but a defender just managed to toe the ball away to safety when a goal looked certain.

Efforts then came and went at both ends before the game moved into 1st half injury time. Midfielder Billy Adcock pick out Eion Casey inside the left corner of the penalty area who was bundled to the ground by a challenge and from the penalty Michael Murray saw the ball squirm under the visitor’s keeper into the back of the net to extend the Scholars lead.

It was the host who started the better in the second half, Michael Murray’s free kick was blocked before being scrambled clear, Billy Lobjoit crossed onto the head of Eion Casey who saw his effort saved, then in he 55th minute George Nicholas’s surging run picked out the overlap of Andy Lomas, and spotting the run of Eion Casey played a teasing cross that avoided both Casey and a defender but picked out Billy Lobjoit unmarked at the far post to fire the ball home.

Despite already being booked a Tilbury defender already on a yellow card took down Billy Lobjoit with a raking tackle from behind and amazingly was extremely lucky to escape with a ‘chat’ from the match official. But then less than a minute later Scholars George Nicholas after feeling he’d been fouled went in for a clumsy challenge leaving the Tilbury defender nursing a sore head and was shown a straight Red card!

The Scholars brought on Steven Benavides Martinez for his league debut to replace Michael Murray and the 10 men comfortably reshaped and defended well. With 79 minutes gone Billy Lobjoit fired in a low drive which the keeper saved but just two minutes later he went one better to make the score 4-0, firing a free kick from 25 yards into the top left hand corner of the net giving the keeper no chance.

Scorers – Michael Murray 20, 45 – Billy Lobjoit 55, 81

MoM: Billy Lobjoit

Team: Berkley Laurencin, Billy Baird, Andy Lomas, Lee O’Leary, Steve Brown, Chris Doyle, Billy Lobjoit (sub David Sota 88m), Billy Adcock, Michael Murray (sub Steven Benavides-Martinez 78), George Nicholas, Eion Casey

Not Used: g/k Greg Marsh, Femi Ogunsola, Pierre Etienne