Common hit perfect 10 in crushing win

Jamie Crone led the rout with a hat-trick as Common scored eight goals in the second half against Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division One’s bottom club.

Common showed no signs of rustiness following a two-week break from action and adapted well to the tricky conditions despite a somewhat depleted but youthful squad.

Kicking against a strong wind in the first half, Common dealt comfortably with the early United pressure and always looked dangerous on the break as they settled into their passing game.

Neither goalkeeper was really tested in the opening 20 minutes with Common’s best opportunity coming from a delightful Luke Curteis pass to find an unmarked Liam Foster, who saw his looping effort fall wide of the post.

Common thought they should have been awarded a penalty when Jerome Smith appeared to have been bundled over in the area following a corner, while at the other end, the hosts were reduced to long range efforts which failed to trouble Matt Cruttwell.

The scoring was opened in the 26th minute when a Russell Eldridge free kick was met by the head of Foster at the far post to give Common the lead.

The visitors doubled their advantage seven minutes later when good link-up play between Curteis and Dan Estherby saw the latter deliver an exquisite near post cross for Crone to prod home.

United had a glorious opportunity to reduce their deficit five minutes before the interval when a slip in the Common defence presented a one-on-one with Cruttwell, who saved well with his legs. Crone twice went close to extending Common’s lead on the stroke of half time, drawing good saves from the home goalkeeper.

The second period was dominated by the Commoners and it was no surprise when the third goal arrived in the 56th minute. Crone and Estherby exchanged passes before the former rolled the ball into an unguarded net.

Two minutes later and Crone secured his hat-trick. A long clearance from the returning Jake Sherwood enabled him to lift the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and into the net.

This seemed to knock the stuffing out of the hosts and Common added a further three goals in a two-minute spell as the match reached the three-quarter mark.

A deflected effort from Dom Bristow fell kindly for 16-year-old substitute Rosh Wells to notch his first senior goal before Dave Ammoun headed the sixth over the stranded goalkeeper from a Common corner. The seventh also came from a corner when Foster’s delivery was diverted into his own net by a United defender at the near post.

Common saw further chances to extend their lead go begging. Bristow’s thunderous strike rattled the crossbar before Lewis Hole saw a close range effort saved.

Hole did get himself on the scoresheet with a far post header from a Foster corner in the 79th minute before grabbing Common’s ninth goal 10 minutes later following a lovely flowing move involving Wells and Estherby.

Estherby concluded the scoring with virtually the last kick of the game when his 25-yard effort found the top corner of the net to seal an emphatic victory for the Commoners.

Common: Cruttwell, Curteis. Sherwood (Robb), Eldridge, Ammoun, Smith (Bristow), Foster, Holden, Hole, Crone (Wells), Estherby.

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