BEAVERS ALL FIRED UP

Hampton & Richmond Borough 4 Weston-super-Mare 1
S Lake (2), 11 & 17; Havard, 26
Kember (2), 23 & 57 Att; 365

A brace of goals from two midfield players fired Hampton to a comfortable 4-1 win over a Weston-super-Mare side that had started the season with two wins, including a 3-2 victory over one of the promotion favourites Havant & Waterlooville. Stuart Lake and Robbie Kember were the players who finished off a tremendous team performance for the Beavers. It could be said that Hampton had started the season a shade under par picking up two draws but on the other hand they had had absolutely no luck in front of goal however all that changed with the visit of the side from Somerset. Hampton brought in centre back Elliott Brathwaite for his debut and the ex-QPR youngster settled in quickly to give a very composed performance, on the bench was new signing ex-Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth midfielder Stephen Cooke who had signed for the club a few days earlier.

In the first attack of the game Shaun McAuley and Ian Hodges carved open the Weston defence, McAuley`s cross being headed clear by Weston skipper Charles Comyn-Platt. A few minutes later McAuley and Lawrence Yaku set Graham Harper on his way down the right side for a cross that was cleared. In the 7th minute Ryan Lake tried an outrageous free kick, spotting Ryan Northmore well off his line Ryan Lake hit a 60 yarder that didn`t miss by much. Weston responded with a free kick of their own, Andy Gurney forcing Matt Lovett into a double fisted save. Kember was brought down just outside the Weston penalty area, Stuart Lake struck the kick straight at the wall, it took a wicked deflection and ended up in Northmore`s left hand corner of the net for the opening goal in the 11th minute. Yaku tried an acrobatic overhead kick from a McAuley cross that flew wide and then the lively looking McAuley volleyed wide from 25 yards. Six minutes after going in front, Hampton led 2-0 and, again, it was Stuart Lake. McAuley took a free kick from the far side, Lake won the header, John Scarborough laid the ball back to the midfielder who fired home from 15 yards. It didn`t take long for the third, either, as Kember struck a hammer blow in the 19th minute, Northmore only saw the ball when it hit the back of his net. Hampton were forcibly reminded that Weston were still a force to be reckoned with when Ryan Havard pulled a goal back in the 26th minute netting close in from a low cross played in from the left. Shortly afterwards Hampton had a goal disallowed for a push after Yaku had finished off Hodges` chance. On the half hour Yaku struck a curling shot that Northmore touched away for a corner. The Beavers were forced into a substitution after McAuley injured his ankle (ligaments), Cooke coming on for his debut. Cooke had an early touch, his through ball for Yaku ending with Hodges heading narrowly wide.

Hampton`s fourth goal came in the 57th minute thanks to Yaku`s `never give up on a ball attitude`. Yaku chased a ball that looked to be going out for a goal kick down near the corner flag, hugging the line he teased his way past a defender and then sent in a low hard drive that was converted by Kember for his second, and Hampton`s, fourth. On the hour mark Hampton were denied a penalty twice in a few seconds, a hand ball was followed by a whack to Hodges` leg, play went on though and moments later Yaku forced Northmore into using his legs to block a shot at his near post. Ten minutes from time the irrepressible Harper nicked the ball off the toes of Ashley Holgate and set off on another run and cross.

Referee Nigel Lugg appeared to take the `respect` campaign to the limit as he issued six yellow cards, three to each side, mostly for verbal dissent. Over physical challenges were allowed though, and it was probably just as well that Hampton`s Manager Alan Devonshire was serving out the last of his three games suspension otherwise words might have been exchanged!

The win extends Hampton`s unbeaten run to three league games , and taking in last season the run now extends to fifteen Blue Square South league games.

Team Line-up;-
Matt Lovett; Graham Harper, Ryan Lake, Elliott Brathwaite, John Scarborough, Dean Wells, Stuart Lake, Shaun McAuley (Stephen Cooke, 41), Ian Hodges (Marcello Fernandes, 75), Lawrence Yaku (Steve Tyson, 75), Robbie Kember,
Sub not used ; Glenn Harris

Bookings ; Stuart Lake, Ryan Lake, Graham Harper
Man of the Match ; Stuart Lake