Last season, Feltonmix Metro and Hutt Valley Cartage Lynn-Avon United finished third and second respectively in the Bluebird Premier League, and their clash on April 10 was eagerly awaited.
Despite the personnel changes made to both teams since the 1997 campaigns, no-one quite expected the hiding Metro served up to their old rivals. 5-1 was the score, and at times the winners threatened to run riot.
United were, quite simply, outclassed by a team boasting six past or present National League players in its starting line-up, including club debutants Carl Jorgenson and Grant Schofield.
But it was an old hand, Steve Nickson, who started the scoring after just 107 seconds, Hoani Edwards lifting the ball through a square defence for the striker to pick his spot easily.
Edwards went close himself soon after, following some good work by Danny McHenery, who missed a sitter in the tenth minute after an Edwards cross had been flicked through by Willie Thompson.
McHenery and Edwards inspired a super second goal for Metro after just twelve minutes, and there was no one more delighted than Jason Thompson, who scored against the club he played for in 1997.
It was all over bar the shouting as a contest two minutes later, Shaun O'Mara thundering the ball home on the volley after United had failed to clear Nickson's low cross.
Jorgenson, McHenery and Edwards all went close within the next five minutes, as Lynn-Avon's defence took a fearful pounding. That they held out for the remainder of the half without conceding any further goals was due to a combination of defiant defensive work and a mixture of over-elaborate approacj play and poor finishing by the home team.
Despite being battered, United could well have been on the board themselves before the interval. O'Mara cleared off the line from Stefan Hollard in the eighth minute, after Schofield had failed to grasp a Greg Clark header, while moments before the interval, Hollard blazed wide of an open goal after pouncing on a defensive blunder before rounding the goalkeeper.
Nickson, who was denied in fine fashion just before the break by Richard Flatman, struck his second goal five minutes into the second half, again benefitting from Edwards' vision and accurate passing - for this writer, by far the most influential player on the park.
Schofield and Flatman exchanged spectacular saves before the hour, the Metro 'keeper brilliantly turning away a ferocious Robbie Van Bakel drive, while United's shotstopper foiled Nickson, seconds before Willie Thompson - he, too, played well - sent a drive whistling just over the crossbar.
After Imraan Ali headed narrowly past the far post on receipt of a Neil Woodhams cross, the former Waitakere City stalwart added some respectability to the scoreline from the penalty spot for the visitors, Marco Ermerins having been impeded in the area in the 67th minute.
This sparked a brief Lynn-Avon flurry, one quickly quelled by McHenery, who was denied by Flatman in the 72nd minute. Eight minutes later, the striker finally scored the goal his efforts deserved, following up to tap home with ease after Flatman could only parry a fierce Nickson drive.
'Nicko' headed just over minutes before the final whistle, but 5-1 the score remained, Michael Imre being the only Lynn-Avon representative who could be proud of his efforts on the night.

Metro: Schofield; O'Mara, Mair, J. Thompson; W. Thompson, Jorgenson, Edwards, Lawler (Davidson, 57), Beckham; McHenery, Nickson (List, 86).

United: Flatman; Imre, Clark, Tomes, Van Bakel; Woodhams, Colegate, Maguire, Hollard; Ali, Ermerins.
Referee: Derek Rugg

Print this page