Sevenoaks registered back to back league wins with a 6-0 away win at Fareham on Sunday. Having opened the season with one win, one draw and one loss, Oaks were keen to maintain winning momentum having beaten Canterbury the weekend before, and a controlled performance enabled them to do just that.
Oaks came out the blocks flying, and straight from the push back they created a chance down the right-hand side of the pitch, where Sam George received the ball beyond the last defender, but scramble defence by Fareham snuffed out the initial chance.
Oaks won the ball back immediately and it fell to Tim Warrington who flashed a reverse stick shot just wide of the near post. It didn’t take long for Oaks to open the scoring and the first goal of the game came in the 7th minute when Oaks recovered a broken down penalty corner routine to work the ball to Ed Matts on the far post to deflect beyond the keeper to give Sevenoaks the 1-0 lead.
Sevenoaks then doubled their lead three minutes later when excellent play by Sam George down the right saw him pick a pass across goal to Ian Haley to convert to make it 2-0. Despite dominating much of the half Oaks couldn’t add to their tally in the remainder of the first half and the sides went into the break with the score at 2-0.
After the break, Fareham had a brief purple patch, when they earned a penalty corner, but they were unable to get a shot away. In the 49th minute Oaks eventually extended their lead when Andrew Ross converted a penalty corner won by George to make it 3-0. Within two minutes it was 4-0 as Jason Bigara was fouled in the D and a penalty stroke was awarded, which Ross duly dispatched. Less than a minute later Oaks made it 5-0 when George fed Aaron Cheema to lift the ball over the keeper and into the net.
With more than a quarter of the match remaining Oaks could have really put the game to bed but some sloppy passing in the final third prevented that, until Aaron Leadbeater found space on the left side of the D and his ball across goal was deflected in by a diving George. It was a well-deserved goal to cap a fine performance by man of the match George.
The win moves Oaks up to 3rd in the table, only one point behind early leaders Oxted. Next week Oaks return to Hollybush Lane where they welcome Havant on Saturday at 5.00pm.
