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Photos: TK Rohit
A Phil Taylor hat-trick propelled Vanbrugh 1sts to an eight-goal obliteration of Wentworth 3rds on a sweltering afternoon.
Elliot Rous-Ross also bagged a brace with his first goals of the tournament, while Rory Sharkey, Ben Stanier and Kieran O’Dwyer also got their names on the scoresheet.
The result puts Vanbrugh on the brink of qualification for the quarter-finals as a win next Thursday against Alcuin 2nds will put them through.
It is also the second 8-0 drubbing suffered by a Wentworth side in a week after the 2nds went down 8-0 against James 1sts last Thursday.
The circumstances were always going to be difficult for Wentworth who had lost their previous two games, but the searing temperatures made their ability to play a high-intensity game and stop Vanbrugh almost impossible.
However, they could have given themselves a fighting chance had they not conceded two very sloppy goals early on.
After just four minutes, a volleyed clearance by ‘keeper James Wilson looped over the absent Wentworth defence, and Elliot Rous-Ross outstripped Dan Horsfall to slot in a cool finish.
Moments later, an almost identical goal was scored by Rous-Ross, doubling Vanbrugh’s advantage.
Max Brewer smashed a clearance upfield catching out the Wentworth back line who failed to react to a bouncing ball, allowing Rous-Ross to steal in and volley home into the corner.
Vanbrugh continued to pour forward with great hunger and desire, and a Chris Wignall shot was headed off the line by Andrew Thompson after mesmerising wing play from Sharkey.
Meanwhile, despite working hard in defence, Wentworth struggled to make inroads into the Vanbrugh half despite the best efforts of Abdoulaye in midfield; Wilson’s only touch up to this point was his assist.
After 20 minutes, the game was effectively over when Phil Taylor jinked his way past three static Wentworth defenders before smashing a left-footed finish past the ‘keeper.
It got worse for Wentworth as Vanbrugh scored their fourth. Sharkey’s inswining cross from the left went through a crowd of players and past an unsighted Nick Smith, nestling in the bottom corner.
Moments before half-time, Vanbrugh hit a fifth in possibly their best move of the match. Chris Wignall found Rous-Ross dropping deep, who turned sharply and played in Stanier, and the winger stroked home the easiest of finishes.
The half time break was welcomed by all 22 players, as everyone took the opportunity to down some fluids.
Understandably, the second half began a little sluggishly, although Vanbrugh soon made it six when a horribly misplaced Wentworth pass sent Rous-Ross through, who unselfishly squared for O’Dwyer to tap in.
But Wentworth almost grabbed a consolation just after the restart.
Vanbrugh struggled to clear a bouncing ball on the edge of the area, allowing Matt Beacham to leather a shot at goal, only to be denied by a top save from Wilson, who just managed to get his deck chair out of the way in time.
A seventh goal was added to the tally with 10 minutes left, when Taylor scored arguably his finest of the afternoon, thumping an emphatic finish past a stationary Smith from distance.
Sharkey missed his volley in front of an open goal, but Taylor scored Vanbrugh’s eighth goal of the afternoon, and secured his hat-trick after blasting home from Stanier’s floated pass.
Afterwards, Vanbrugh captain Wilson was delighted with the result: “It was a solid performance and good to get another clean sheet. I was pleased to see Elliot Rous-Ross get a couple of goals, but everyone played well today.”
Meanwhile, Smith admitted: “We came out a bit and gave it a go but we were too open at the back.”
Vision MOTM: Phil Taylor