Lordswood 4 Sporting Bengal 1

by Darrell Harman

LORDSWOOD have waited a long time, but they at last registered their first Bulmers Cider Kent League victory of the season on Tuesday night.

They made a disastrous start and went a goal down on three minutes when John Donaghue scored from a corner, but once Lords were level (in the 11th minute) the game swung their way.

Jamie Humphries picked the ball up just in the Sporting half and cut across the field before unleashing an unstoppable shot from 25 yards.

All square, then, it could have been even better inside 60 seconds when Ray Broad and Humphries combined and Dominic Elmes fired narrowly wide.

Luke Wallond was denied by keeper Jason Hartless and a deflected Humphries drive whistled just past, while Sporting should have regained the lead in the very next minute when stumbled cleared the bar from the edge of the six-yard box.

Ahmed hit a post before, in the 37th minute, Luke Wallond was adjudged to have been fouled and a penalty was awarded. He took the spot kick himself and made no mistake.

Sporting had a lot of possession early in the second period but they didn't really cause any problems and Lords took a grip on the proceedings, Elmes twice going close and Hartless pulling off a good save to keep out an Allan Scott header.

Sporting's Aaron Hutchins was sent off after swearing at the referee and the home side made them pay soon after when Elmes picked up the rebound from his own shot and beat Hartless from close range.

Humphries volleyed over from six yards out, Nick Berkhauer headed over and in the 80th minute Rob Norman latched on to a through ball and went round the keeper before being denied by a goalline clearance.

The good, bad and ugly side of Hartless came when he superbly parried a shot by Scott and then blocked one by Norman before walking up to Wallond and head butted him.

He was dismissed, Sporting were down to nine players and Norman flicked in his first senior goal for the first team at the death.