Morris proves potential as Beavers are routed

ELIZABETH COLLEGE have at last come to the party in the Investec Men's Division One. The best side that the school has produced in recent years have underperformed since coming into for the second half of the league. They have earned just one point from four games to sit second from bottom.

But they certainly made amends for this at the Memorial Field on Saturday when they turned over the league's first-half champions, Beavers, 8-1.

Although their top of the table opponents were seriously under strength, the students moved the ball well and bossed the game from start to finish.

The Elizabethans were also deadly in front of goal, with their island striker Dave Morris bagging himself four in the rout.

'Today we were a touch better from what we have played,' said Morris after the game.

'We played the ball around and if we play like that for the rest of the season, we can climb higher up the league. At the start of the season we just hadn't played together for a long time and for our first few games we were scrappy.

'We needed a few training sessions and now we've got it together. It's going well for me it the moment and I'm playing at the top of my game.

'I'm very pleased with how it's going.'

Morris's coach at college David Wray is certainly pleased with his young forward and the rest of his team.

'As I said at the beginning of the season, they would be competitive but it was always going to take them some time to get into it,' he said.

'Clearly Beavers were weakened with the loss of four or five good players but I think that some of the work we've been doing in training showed today and that's why David plays for the island first team.

'When he turns up with his head on, he's fantastic. He's got good hands and balance and an eye for the goal.'

College, with the likes of Morris, Tim Ravenscroft, Jonny Clark and Ollie Richards in their ranks, must have fancied their chances when they saw the Beavers side that lined up in front of them at the push back.

The dark blues were without island stars Andy Whalley, Barry Wallace and Mark Babbe, who has just moved to Australia, and it showed as Morris put college ahead within the first 10 minutes.

His pinpoint shot from out wide dissected a crowded area to go straight in.

The whites proceeded to put Beavers, who could hardly get out of their own half, under the cosh.

Despite this sustained pressure, college failed to hit the backboard until just before the half-hour mark when Clark found Morris at the back post and he tapped home.

Two minutes later the latter wrapped up a first-half hat-trick with the best goal of the match.

From a short corner, he danced through the Beavers defence and round keeper and captain Jason Robilliard.

At the other end, college's keeper Ben Boss was so busy, he spent most of the half leaning against his goal post.

To the second half and College came out flying.

Ravenscroft made it 4-0 in the first minute of the restart with a top-of-the-'D' strike.

Richards added another 10 minutes later as college continued to boss things.

Beavers did managed to claw one back, through a direct shot from Paul Ridley at a short corner midway through the second half, but that high was soon forgotten as Morris quickly got his fourth as he skipped round Robilliard again.

With Beavers starting to tire, College's dominance just got stronger as chance after chance went begging. Into the last minutes of the game, it was left to college attacker Chris Dravers to get a double strike to nail Beavers' coffin firmly shut.

'We had three or four players today who would normally be in the team and the rest came up from the second team to help out,' said Robilliard.

'We always knew it was going to be difficult but they played very well. They are the best college side for a number of years.

'Everyone worked hard and we played as well as we could.

'It was an enjoyable game despite the result.

'I also thought I played quite well despite letting eight in.'

The result also sees Beavers drop down to second after Investec Colombians crushed Coreix Unwantables 8-2 later on Saturday on Foote's Lane.

Island centre forward TJ Ozanne picked up a first-half hat-trick. Richard Collenette got two, with Damian Wallen, Chris Gill and Tristan Cairns also getting in on the act to see Colombians move into the top spot.

Phil Ogier and Andy Alford got Unwantables' two.

It was a fine return to form for Colombians after the reigning champions lost 3-0 to Beavers last week.

'Good bouncebackability,' said Colombians captain Kees Jager.

'It was a fantastic team performance all round.

'I'm pleased and if we carry on like that there's no reason why we can't win the league.'