Week three and ANOTHER home game raises the question, just when will we get to see the new away kit? It was back to the NTM arena in Rosemary Road. For the second week running the Eagles were up against a team that had won their league last season. Red Star winning Division Four. The two sides had met last season in the cup with the Eagles running out comfortable winners.
Red Star came into the game looking for their first points of the season having suffered a heavy defeat on the opening weekend. Hawkins made a good start to the game and from the off pushed Red Star back into their own half. The visitors struggling to get any momentum and string a passage of attacking play together. Not for the first time this season the Hawkins defence looked strong and in control on the odd occasion Red Star got through they found Brogan too much to beat. At the other end it was a different story. Josh was causing havoc with the two centre halves finding it difficult if not impossible to deal with his pace and power. It was this pace which would lead to the first goal, cutting through the defence and beating the offside trap Josh calmly slotting the ball home.
If the first goal was typical Josh then the second was anything but. Again Josh collected the ball but found himself deeper into midfield, running forward across the penalty area with players bouncing off him he turned and hit a great effort into the back of the net. Just as well it did go in as Ellison had made a great run inside the full back and would have been clean through.
Red Star were now struggling to get back into the game, The Eagles midfield smelt blood and weren’t giving the opposition anytime on the ball. If was the continued hounding of the opposition which resulted in another chance for Josh, again he beat the defence and ran through to beat the keeper to complete his first Hat Trick of the season.
Having gone 3 goals down Red Star showed some fighting spirit and came back into the game causing one or two problems for the Hawkins defence. The visitors were able to grab a goal back just before half time, A good save from Brogan falling to a Red Star attacker in the box and him firing home.
Half Time - Hawkins 3 v Red Star 1
For the second week running the Eagles struggled to put the game to bed in the second half and for the early part it was Red Star who looked to get back into the game encouraged by their goal late in the first half. There were a couple of anxious moments in the Eagles box but nothing that calm as you like Brogan couldn’t deal with. The game started to get scrappy with a bit of niggle creeping in, Maccie found himself on the receiving end of a stray elbow on more than one occasion whilst Lucas relished the battle in the middle of the park. It was left to Josh to calm any nerves with another well taken goal. Again put through, strong on the ball to hold off the centre half and calm enough to finish with a side footed finish past the keeper. It is great to see Josh now realising he doesn’t have to try and break the net every time he hits the ball. A sign of the ill temper creeping into the game as instead of celebrating Josh choose to remind the centre half of the score not to the liking of the ref.
The Eagles now had the game won and were able to relax. Kian even having time to stop and have a giggling fit with Rhys whilst Red Stars winger attacked have chipped the ball into his face.
A comfortable win for the Eagles, a solid squad performance with those that started as subs playing their part. A lot of positives in the game, Lewis managing to get another few minutes of match time, Ellison showing determination to win a starting place with a man of the match performance and Josh finding it easier to score than miss nowadays.
On the weekend of the Ryder cup I guess we should have know we would score Foreeeeeeeeee!
Full Time - Hawkins 4 v Red Star 1
