Zion are once again topping the Premier League table after a 7-1 thrashing given to Townsend FC. Mike Morrision netted 6 times to grab the plaudits, as the whole Zion side continued their good form.
In previous seasons fans have been treated to flowing football when Zion and Townsend meet, and this match was no exception to that trend. The previous four matches between the sides have seen no fewer than 42 goals fly into the net, and fans didn't have to be patient waiting for more of the same. It was Morrison who opened the scoring after good work from Tommy Powell. The two formed a formidable partnership during the match which proved too hot to handle for the Townsend defence. Morrison doubled his tally after he intelligently intercepted a sloppy pass. At 2-0 the Townsend heads dropped as flashbacks of previous matches must have played on their minds. Zion have only been defeated once by Townsend, and that was when a sending off forced Zion forced to play with 4 men for over half of the match. Powell pounced on a pass by Morrison to add to the lead, before Morrison scored two more goals to give Zion a healthy 5-0 advantage at half time.
The second half took slightly longer to burst into life as Zion were comfortably dealing with sustained Townsend pressure. Ben Short and Tony Dain were protecting Steve Winter's goal with a great display of defensive prowess. Despite the defensive resolve and several fine saves from Winter, Townsend eventually managed to score. Winter, Short, and Dain will feel hard done by that they didn't manage to secure the clean sheet that their respective performances deserved. However, the singular word, consolation, is the operative word when it comes to Townsend's attacking success. Zion were soon on the front foot once more, and two more Powell-Morrison combinations saw Zion win the match with an amazing 7-1 victory.
Morrison's six goals were highly praised by pundits and players alike after the match. Zion Manager Tommy Powell was extremely pleased with his talented player, "Mike had a great game, and was brilliant in front of goal tonight, I enjoyed playing with him and felt that we combined well and caused Townsend problems throughout the game." Powell was also pleased with his defenders, and singled out Ben Short in particular with his positive comments, "Defensively we were great tonight, they provided a solid platform for us to play our football. I thought Ben Short was excellent tonight. He has been out for a while and for him to come back and play as well as he did gives us all a massive lift." The Zion fans left Stanley Deason with a great deal of optimism following their recent performance. The radio phone-ins were inundated with Lions fans who believe their side can achieve back to back titles for the first time in the clubs history. There is a long way to go in the season, but based on Zion's current form, it would take a brave man to bet against them.
