For the third consecutive home game Royston hit four goals but tonight it was without reply as Paul Attfield's side maintained their 100% winning record with this comfortable victory.

 

As like Saturday the squad was hampered with a viable eight absentees and where as most teams would struggle to cope with this once again the vast depth in the home ranks showed that this was never going to be a factor with the game literally won by the half hour mark.

 

Royston looked menacing from the off with the visiting defence struggling to cope with quick movement and the quality of balls played behind them. Goals looked likely from the off and the home crowd would not be disappointed.

 

In just the 13th minute a superb quick one touch move ended with Dalton O'Brien getting behind the defence and firing across the keeper and inside the far post from 12 yards.

 

Four minutes later and the lead was doubled. Another good ball from midfield released Malins who rounded the keeper and was felled by the challenge he made. Maybe only fortunate to see a yellow card the punishment was to be severe with Kaan Fehmi comfortably converting the penalty kick.

 

The goals wern't finished and just three minutes later another fine move ended with O'Brien lobbing the keeper from just inside the box. The half was also littered with some fouls and Tom Malins was crudely fouled just outside the area with the challenge weakly shrugged off by the officials. The free kick was saved but not held and Ricky Young followed up but blasted straight at the keeper on the floor. Just before half time the visitors had their only real chance when Anstead broke clear after a slip in defence but the on rushing Jorden Gibson blocked well with his legs. Straight from Gibson's save another through ball released Fehmi at the other end but he lobbed over the bar with the keeper in no mans land.

 

Royston were to make enforced changes at the interval with Malins suffering ligament damage from the poor tackle he received just before half time and Kaan Fehmi was also to be replaced with a potential rib injury from a collision. Carl Edwards and Brad Ratcliffe replaced the two as Royston went on to control the entirety of the half and create good chances.

 

Ricky Young lobbed inches wide with the keeper beaten and Carl Edwards shot wide after racing into the area unchallenged. Lewis Endacott had a goal bound header blocked unknowingly by a defender and Arin Fehmi had a shot blocked by the keeper's legs from a tight angle. Former Histon academy player, 19 year old Jack Harris then entered the fray replacing Martin Standen and his hard work to chase a lost cause set up a cross from Arin Fehmi that was misjudged by the keeper and a defender allowing O'Brien a simple tap in to complete his hat trick with ten minutes remaining.

 

Harris then was unlucky not to score himself when he superbly lobbed the keeper but saw the ball drop agonisingly the wrong side of the post from 20 yards.

 

Team :  Gibson  Endacott  A Fehmi  Grinham  Bradshaw  Standen (Harris)  Collins  Malins (Edwards)  OBrien  K Fehmi (Ratcliffe)  Young     Unused : Howard, Jackson

 

Paul Attfield commented  —  " We made a potentially tricky game look very easy and quite frankly could have won the game by a much bigger margin. We were very fluent with our movement and quality of final balls and it is always satisying to have the game well in hand just 30 minutes in. The constant enforced swapping and changing of the team and squad at just latelyhas had no affect on effort or performance levels and we can go into Sunday's FA Cup game with very good confidence."