Matt Mundy reports on UEL footballers in fine form.
UEL 1st 4 – 0 Middlesex 1st
UEL 1st team eased past Middlesex on Wednesday afternoon, extending their top of the table lead with a fifth win in as many games.
Philmon Tefsu scored in each half. Subsitute Harry Mathews scored just before half-time. The win was wrapped up late on by a wonderful strike from Harry Tew-Robinson, taking his tally to nine goals in five games.
UEL made early inroads through Drew Jones who connected with Stefan Nielson’s corner, but he couldn’t test the goalkeeper. Tefsu then exchanged passes with Tew-Robinson on the edge of the box, but fired straight at the keeper.
Six minutes later, UEL went ahead. Nielson’s free kick rattled off the bar and fell kindly to the unmarked Tefsu who headed into the empty net from six yards.
UEL had the chance to double their lead with some good wing play and a 25-yard effort from Nielson, before Middlesex created a series of openings. A mix-up in the UEL defence presented the away side with a golden opportunity to pull a goal back, but their striker couldn’t adjust his feet to profit.
As half-time approached, the home team grabbed a second via Mathews, who had come on to replace the injured Jones. Mathews’ first-time shot from the edge of the box beat the hands of the goalkeeper down to his right.
When they came out for the second half Middlesex were dispirited and UEL nearly benefited when Marley Spindler’s through-ball found Tefsu, who rounded the keeper but chipped over from an acute angle.
With 25 minutes to go, Middlesex found new momentum. They hit bar and post in quick succession. On the rebound Tefsu grabbed his second goal from the edge of the box, thanks largely to poor keeping, making it 3 – 0.
The fourth goal may have been a formality, but it was also the finest. Mathews’ pass from midfield split the centre backs to reach Tew-Robinson who took a touch, set himself, and curled the ball into the top right hand apex of the goal. The best keeper in the world couldn’t have stopped it.
On this form UEL look almost unstoppable.