Tom Clarke maintained his record of scoring a hat-trick in every College Cup game he has played in this year and picked up his ninth, tenth and eleventh goals of the tournament as James 1sts routinely took apart Alcuin 3rds on a wet JLD.
Clarke, who looks set to smash all previous College Cup goalscoring records, opened the scoring in the seventh minute and curled in a stunning second from long range before half-time. A finish from close range completed his hat-trick 10 minutes after the restart.
Further goals from Ralph Gill, Simon Kreienbaum and James Davies, and a Jon Carney own goal gave the men in black a dominant and totally comfortable 7-0 victory – Alcuin not even managing to get a shot on goal. Despite a high-spirited start they found themselves camped inside their own half from the off, striker Josh Allen often acting more as an extra defender than a lone front-man.
As expected, things were quite different down the other end, as the Alcuin defence struggled to deal with Clarke. As well as leading the line he often dropped back and created chances from deep. The link up play between him, James Davies and Freddie Ferrao could be the key to a potential James challenge for the cup.
Karl Pickar, who had the unenviable task of marking Clarke, did well to keep him under wraps for the opening minutes, but it was never going to last.
A lovely chip over the top from Josh Spurling allowed Clarke to run through and he finished coolly and effortlessly past Thurloway to make it 1-0 after seven minutes.
The second came from a corner two minutes later. James Davies whipped the ball in from the left and the unmarked Ralph Gill met it with a stooping header which found the back of the net with the Alcuin defence static.
Clarke and Davies continued to terrorise Alcuin with their interchanges. The pair were providing the majority of the James threat, and it was Davies who triggered the attack that brought the third goal.
The number 10 found Jopson down the right, and he beat Nixon before unleashing a cross-cum-shot which Carney could only manage to turn into his own net.
It was 4-0 inside 20 minutes. Matt Bainbridge found Kreienbaum on the edge of the area, and the big German turned his man and, whilst unsighted, expertly curled a left-footed shot into the bottom corner with Thurloway helpless.
Two minutes later and it was five, Tom Clarke adding insult to Alcuin’s injury. He spotted Thurloway off his line and instinctively curled a 25-yard strike into the top corner from left of the D.
Clarke could have had his hat-trick in the first half, only to send a half-volley just wide of the upright.
James started the second period in a slightly more lacklustre manner. It took 10 minutes for them to fashion a real chance, but when they did, it brought the sixth goal.
Ferrao put Davies through on goal, but the lively forward was brought down by Thurloway after knocking the ball round the Alcuin ‘keeper. The ref was spared making the decision on the penalty however, as Clarke slammed in the loose ball from a tight angle to pick up his third goal of the game, and his eleventh of the tournament.
The seventh was a fantastically worked goal which came just four minutes later – Josh Spurling took a pass down on his chest halfway inside the Alcuin half and played a beautifully weighted ball over the top of the Alcuin defence. Davies raced onto it and expertly chipped Thurloway, the ball rolling satisfyingly down the back of the net.
The move of the game nearly brought an eighth, only for the Alcuin ‘keeper to make a fine stop. Spurling and Clarke linked up well to release Bainbridge down the right, and the right back put in a sweet cross which Davies met with a well timed run, but Thurloway was equal to his effort.
They came even closer four minutes later. Tom Clarke made a blistering run down the left, leaving four men in his wake before pulling the ball back across the box for Freddie Ferrao. The winger, however, could only get the slightest foot on it, and the ball rolled to safety with the goal gaping.
Clarke and Davies both had further chances to make it eight but both sent efforts narrowly wide, meaning Alcuin got away off with just the 7-0 defeat – lightly compared to James’ 12-0 mauling of Goodricke 3rds earlier in the competition.
Looks to me like Alcuin 3’a are slightly washed up! Maybe tinchy stryder could give them a boost! Loved their cover of “gold” as well, was ‘dynanite’. Might use it on my next album. Keep up the stunning quality of journalism Alex. Ms d.