University returnees give Bushell’s boys new firepower

With Josh Kendal’s brace sandwiching a Steve Waldrom goal earlier in the day to seal a 3-1 victory over Elizabeth College that made it nine wins from nine for the league leaders, the reigning champions Casuals then did them a huge favour by beating their nearest title rivals Colombians 5-1 to give the oranges an eight-point cushion at the top of the tree at Christmas.

And, as if he was buoyed by being able to add returning university students to his squad, it was Casuals captain Alex Bushell who did much of the damage with a four-goal haul that included a hat-trick of short-corner drag flicks.

The first of them broke the deadlock in the ninth minute with Bushell going low to Jake Le Marchant’s right to give his side the lead.

Colombians captain Zak Damarell nearly came up with an immediate response to his opposite number, but his shot hit the post and five minutes later his understrength side were three down and all-but out of the contest.

Cambridge University student and Island player Will Thompson had a major hand in the second and third goals on a day when he gave the champions plenty of added drive in central midfield.

It was he who won the short-corner from which Bushell doubled the lead, this time going to Le Marchant’s left, and moments later Thompson was on the scoresheet himself, making the most of a good advantage played by the umpires and firing beyond the Colombians keeper from the edge of the D on 14min.

On a day when they were missing big players at both ends of the pitch in Andrew Dawson-Ball and Jack Curran as well as usual defensive reinforcements in Chris Lindsay, it was always going to be a mountain to climb for the yellows after that opening quarter-of-an-hour.

Damarell did his best to inspire his troops, firing a reverse-stick effort over the bar after doing all the build-up work himself, but Casuals were the more cohesive unit and Matt Gilligan swept a great chance wide having been set-up by Andy Whalley’s penetrative run down the right.

Will Rix made a couple of smart saves late in the half to deny both Damarell and Hamish Glass, but at 3-0 to the good at half-time, Casuals were comfortable.

Two minutes into the second half, they took an even more commanding position as Bushell made it three from three with short-corner drag flicks to complete his hat-trick.

Le Marchant was equal to his next attempt moments later and Bushell showed that he is far more adept from the edge of the D than from just a couple of yards out when he missed arguably his easiest chance of the afternoon to waste Whalley’s good work.

At the other end, Rix made a good sliding save to prevent Glass from reducing the deficit, but then Colombians’ task was made harder with yellow cards for Damarell and Matt de la Mare in the space of six minutes.

While the latter was in the sin-bin, Casuals made it five thanks to Bushell’s fourth.

He received the ball with his back to goal but shifted it onto his reverse and his shot was a cracker into the bottom corner.

Colombians did manage a consolation with 15min. remaining when Glass knocked in a loose ball after Finton Ridgwick and Damarell had kept the attack alive close to goal, but it was too little too late by then.

There was still time for both keepers to make a couple of noteworthy saves apiece, by which stage Damarell was laying on the sidelines icing a hamstring injury.

He was down and out, so were his side.