Saints up to second as Heaume hits hat-trick
ST MARTIN’S are up to second, the gap is down to four points and they have improved their goal difference significantly to boot.
All in all, a highly satisfactory night’s work for Leon Meakin’s men at the Corbet Field last night and now Port Soif will host back-to-back top-of-the-table clashes on consecutive Saturdays with this result ensuring Saints have leapfrogged Sylvans into second with the league leagues next on their packed agenda.
The black-and-whites made the first of four games in hand on Rovers count emphatically against an understrength Vale Rec side playing their first league game in nearly 20 weeks. It ended 7-1.
Frazer Maginnis got the ball rolling for Saints with a sublime opener inside nine minutes.
Eti Le Prevost’s pass to find him was a good one, Maginnis’ first touch to avoid Keanu Marsh’s sliding tackle was even better and then the chipped left-footed finish from 20 yards to find the top corner past the onrushing Fergus Moriarty was exquisite.
Maginnis then turned provider to give Dom Heaume a simple tap-in to double the lead after quarter-of-an-hour.
Although Saints created more chances in the twilight, it remained 2-0 until half-time, but shortly after the break Danny Hale calmly converted a hotly-disputed penalty to make it three.
Midway through the second half, Heaume completed his hat-trick with two goals in three minutes.
The first saw him dispossess Moriarty at the edge of his area before side-footing into the empty net while the second was a touch of class, shaping to shoot in order to force the goalkeeper and a covering defender to commit to going one way before turning back onto his other foot and slotting home.
Maginnis then added a second of his own, this time with his right-foot, after good work from Jacques Le Gallez before substitute Cal Le Lacheur, who had just been denied by a save-of-the-season contender from Moriarty, also made the most of being set up by Le Gallez by getting in on the goal-scoring act.
On the stroke of full-time, Vale sub Charlie Tostevin produced a delightful finish to deny Saints a clean sheet, but the momentum is theirs heading into a crucial weekend.
