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Champagne Football from the Moor Mead Toffs

On a blustery February morning Moor Mead Athletic produced a dominant performance to blow away a plucky Nutfield side.

The Parakeets were in total control from the early stages as they extended their season-long unbeaten run in the league, powered by a fluid passing game which often cut the opposition to shreds.

The match was switched to Marble Hill because of a waterlogged pitch, and Nutfield were only able to field seven players, although that did include two number sixes.

The pattern was set in the opening minutes as Sam took advantage of slack defending to put Moor Mead one up.

Dilly and Ryan posed a threat down each flank, and Ryan shot narrowly wide from a corner.

James went close after being put through by Sam, and then doubled the lead with a dinked finish from a through ball by Miles.

Sam put a snap shot over, as Moor Mead peppered the Nutfield goal.

When the opposition finally broke forward the move was snuffed out by a well-timed tackle from Orla, one of several excellent interventions in what was surely her best game of the season.

Moor Mead were effectively passing their opponents to death, and should have scored several more, but were perhaps guilty of a little over-elaboration in front of goal.

Sam was brought down in the box, but fired the penalty straight at the keeper, with Dilly putting the rebound wide.

James scooped a close range shot onto the bar, and the Nutfield keeper saved a drive from the edge of the box from Sam.

Nutfield were clearly struggling to get a foothold in the game, but they should commendable resolution and fight.

However, Moor Mead went three up when William slid the ball through for Daniel to apply a low finish, and then Jake robbed the keeper, who had initially denied him a great solo goal, to make it 4-0.

A rare moment of indecision at the back forced Dilly to make a point blank save, and Nutfield also put a long-range effort wide during a rare spell of possession.

However, Moor Mead made it five just before the break as Jake surged down the right flank to set up William, who made no mistake from close range.

The Parakeets turned the screw even tighter after the break, with a period of intense and sustained pressure. William capitalised on more defensive uncertainty to sneak a crafty low shot into the left corner to make it six.

Miles went close twice, firing an angled shot across goal after a surging run, and seeing the Nutfield keeper save a dipping long-range effort.

He strode through midfield to set up Dilly for the seventh, and finished comprehensively from the edge of the box to make it eight.

The Nutfield defence was in tatters, and Miles added a ninth, as the Moor Mead strikers lined up to take a pot at goal.

A Jake run down the right set up William, who buried a shot from close range to take Moor Mead into double figures, and James made it eleven, converting after the keeper blocked a shot from William.

Nutfield then lost a player to injury, and Moor Mead offered them Miles to step into the breach.

The Parakeets' dynamo faced calls of “traitor” from his erstwhile team mates. “It wasn't my idea,'” he pleaded, but it didn't stop him immediately giving the Nutfield midfield more bite.

William came close to extending the lead after a powerful run from centre midfield, but the rest of the game featured a late fight back from Nutfield.

William cleared off his own line following a swift break, but Nutfield finally scored after their striker pounced on a long clearance.

They added a second in the dying moments after being awarded a dubious penalty by the unsighted referee, following a melee in the Moor Mead box.

The late goals were nothing more than a consolation though: it was another resounding win for a Moor Mead side who are developing into a formidable unit.

At the final whistle the QPR scout, who is fast becoming a regular at our games, told our manager we were a very middle class outfit. It was certainly an asparagus tips and Bollinger performance.

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