Fitzwilliam 1s thrashed Homerton 1s 5-0 on Saturday afternoon (11/02), to move three points clear at the top of the men’s College Premier League table and lay down a marker for the rest of the season.

The top-of-table clash between two perennial rivals, seemed finely poised before kickoff. Sure, Fitz won 3-1 when the sides met in the first round of Cuppers in Michaelmas, but today they only had 12 players, one of whom showed up five minutes before the start. Nevertheless, they started the match as the better team, pressing Homerton’s defence from the kickoff, and finding their wingers with through balls. They were helped in this by Homerton’s tactics of playing a high line while pressing inadequately. This left Fitz midfielders Tom Randall and Cass Ashworth with plenty of time to pick out their wingers Sonny McPherson and Asa Campbell, as well as their number 10 Lumi Kanwei.

‘Yet again, Fitz capitalised on Homerton wastefulness’

Fitz’s pressure told midway through the first half, when a corner was headed in by their centre back Jake Parish after a Randall free kick was diverted wide. They almost doubled their lead immediately, but Kanwei’s shot went narrowly wide. This proved to be the catalyst Homerton needed, as they grew into the game, retaining possession and finding their target man Kosi Nwuba more often. However, their momentum was halted by an injury to one of their own midfielders, which led to a lengthy delay in play. When the match resumed, Fitz were again on the front foot, with Kanwei and McPherson both shooting over the bar before the halftime whistle went.

Homerton emerged after the halftime break brighter but couldn’t make their pressure tell on the scoresheet. Fitz punished them for this. McPherson received the ball from the midfield and pulled it back for Kanwei, who turned the Homerton centre back and finished tidily into the bottom corner to double Fitzwilliam’s lead. Homerton again responded, this time with their best spell of the game. Again though, it was a tale of so near yet so far. Toby Linsell hit the woodwork, before Kosi Nwuba and Cyprian Kucaj fired over the top. Yet again, Fitz capitalised on Homerton wastefulness, as Kanwei scored his second after dribbling across the box.

The third goal extinquished any hopes of a Homerton comeback, and Fitz pressed home their quality in midfield and attack in the final stages. Kanwei was again at the centre of the action, nicking the ball in midfield before finding McPherson who stroked the ball into the far corner for Fitz’s fourth.

Fitzwilliam’s final goal was one of real quality. Randall received the ball in midfield, turned and found Campbell on the wing with a well-weighted ball. Campbell took the ball on the left wing, cut inside on to his right foot and scythed his way through the (albeit tiring) Homerton defence, before beating the keeper from short range with a controlled finish. After a few more painful minutes for Homerton, the match ended, and the long, grim cycle home began for the defeated side.

Varsity Player of the Match: Lumi Kanwei (Fitz)