Homerton thrash Churchill on first weekend of college football
Homerton beat title rivals Churchill 6-0 at home on the opening weekend of the season
Homerton beat Churchill 6-0 at home on the opening weekend of the college football season last weekend. Despite finishing level on points last season, the Griffins won convincingly.
Both teams were aiming to challenge for the title this year.
Sixth year medic and striker Kosi Nwuba ran the game for Homerton. Alongside winger Cyprian Kucaj, Homerton's attack was too much for Churchill.
The hosts started strongly, enjoying most of the ball and forcing a few good saves out of the Churchill goalkeeper. It wasn’t long before Nwuba was brought down in the box, winning and then scoring the penalty.
Homerton attacked throughout the first half. Kucaj, who had run the Town and Gown 10km that morning, was next to get himself on the scoresheet, dinking the ball over the Churchill keeper following an excellent lofted pass by centre-half and captain Ben Grischeff.
In a rare counterattack a few minutes later, Churchill were gifted a chance to half the deficit after their striker was unconvincingly pulled down in the Homerton box. It was not to be, however, with Homerton keeper Liam Matthews making an excellent penalty save down to his right to keep the scoreline at 2-0.
With this opportunity for Churchill squandered, Homerton pushed on to finish the first half strongly. Debutant Toby Linsell added a third to the score line with some quick feet in the box and a tidy finish, before Nwuba won and converted another penalty himself following a solo run into the Churchill box. The Griffins went into half-time 4-0 up and totally in control.
After the break, Churchill came out stronger, enjoying more of the ball and forcing some good saves out of Homerton keeper Matthews.
However, any prospect of a comeback was extinguished after the Churchill keeper struggled to deal with a deflected looping shot from Nwuba, spilling the ball to Kucaj to head into an empty net from a few yards out.
Kucaj, who was a threat all game from the right-wing, was able to complete his hat trick with a fierce shot across the keeper in the 82nd minute after latching onto an incisive pass from Nwuba. Despite Homerton hitting the post in the last five minutes, Churchill were able to keep the scoreline at 6-0 until the final whistle.
Homerton will hope to push on to a title challenge, while Churchill will aim to get their season started with a win next weekend.
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