Magical Vegas FC extended their winning streak to four games with a big victory over an unpredictable Hilltop FC in tough conditions. With the game kicking off on a pitch covered in snow - that quickly turned to ice, the possibilities of seeing good quality football was low.
However, both sides attempted to keep the ball on the floor with Hilltop starting the brighter. Their calmness on the ball caused anxiety for the Vegas side who could not string many passes together. When neat passing in the midfield released the Hilltop right back his cross-come-shot was surprisingly diverted into his own net by Tarik Allag - who had been a revelation at CB since returning from being abroad earlier in the season.
Conceding galvanised Vegas who snapped into action and particularly Jacob Bond, playing off main striker Paul 'Trigz' Reid. He took it upon himself to change the course of the game within 15 first half minutes. Firstly, a battle for the ball was won and he slid in Trigz who rounded the goalie to tap in 5 minutes after falling a goal behind. A similar situation left Bond with too much time 2 minutes later and his slide pass into left-winger Patrick Moore Jones resulted in the ball being poked home to take a 2-1 lead.
Cue - hands over mouths in shock...
Bond won the ball 30 yards from goal with close attentions of 3 Hilltop players. He proceeded to completely mug them off with incredible balance and skill, then when faced with the last defender he nonchelantly side-stepped him and struck a fierce left-footed strike that flew into the bottom right hand corner. It was surely a goal that wouldn't be bettered this season. Wild celebrations followed.
Perhaps excited by the goal, Vegas lapsed in concentration and just before half-time they gifted possession to a Hilltop attacker, he had a clear run on goal before cutting in off the right and curling a decent left footed shot into the far corner to make it 3-2.
Hilltop were not allowed to gain any momentum, Ricardo Beckford showed a clean pair of heels to his opposing right back just after the second half kicked off. His cross was cut out nervously by the goalie who preceded to drop the ball on the toes of 'Trigz' who tapped home. 4-2.
Another goal quickly followed when Bond (again) released Moore Jones (again) down the left channel. He slammed a near post effort in to give Vegas a three goal cushion.
A fluke goal was conceded not 5 minutes later when a clearance by right back, Nick Loblack, deflected back over Matthew Summer's head and into the goal to give Hilltop a sniff of an unlikely comeback. Those thoughts were quickly extinguished when 'Trigz' pulled a cross from a corner out the sky and cut-back for Mark Maher to calmly volley in from 5 yards out. 'Trigz' wasn't to be denied his hat-trick when a cross from Moore Jones found him at an acute angle, he 'gave the keeper the eyes' and slammed home high into the roof of the net. 7-3
Another piece of magic was to be produced in the game when a Hilltop striker spun away from his defender 30 yards out and arrowed a powerful effort into the top corner off the bar. 7-4.
The introduction of Erol Resat for Beckford was causing Hilltop problems on the break and when Resat broke free, one of a number of times, he found Moore Jones in acres of space in the box - he smashed home is teams eighth goal and his third of the day. Resat rounded off the win with a calm finish 2 minutes from time to cap a wonderful night of entertainment and maintain Vegas' momentum in the league in 2017.
Onwards and upwards...the vegas boys have got a winning run and mentality to take forward into their next game against an unknown Blacksmiths FC side.
