Hanover Park FC has officially become Santos FC’s bogey team! Booh!
This was for all to witness after they humbled the former PSL champion by 5-0 during an ABC Motsepe League match at the Downberg Road Sport Field on Friday evening.
A brace each from Peter-Wade Fish and Devaun Van Wyk wrapped up the victory for the home side while the captain, Ghaalib Avontuur, buried the final nail in the visitors’ coffin to ensure that die Brasse Vannie Park as Hanover Park is called, kept their impeccable record over the People’s Team in this Division.
Hanover Park has now extended their unbeaten run over Santos to four league matches and stretches across two seasons. And the scary part of their showing is that the so-called A-lister players must still return from duty at LFA level.
Hats off to the youngsters and so-called fringe players who are stepping up and doing the job with great aplomb.
Credit must also go to the new coach Bradley Barnes who has hit the ground running. Barnes’ young guns have now scored nine goals in two matches conceding only one after they walloped Ikapa Sporting by 4-1 in their opening match of the league campaign last week.
One must also praise the goalscoring prowess of Fish who have scored three goals in two games. It’s clear that Fish definitely possess more goalscoring ability than his father, Peter, who was a mean left-footed player and free kick specialist for Aces at Metropolitan LFA back in the day.
Barnes has yet again showed his boldness and confidence in the youth when he handed Motsepe League debuts to two 18-year-olds in the former Junction Rovers player, Zafaar Rumble and Wafeeq Isaacs – and boy they did not disappoint!
Perhaps Barnes must stick with this winning formula irrespective as this current group hasn’t put a foot wrong thus far. So, it will really be interesting to see how Barnes will approach this when the big guns return.
Meanwhile, Hanover Park’s owner, Rieduwaan Anthony, obviously likes what he sees from the youngsters and has probably already liken Rumble to his former player Vigil Piedt who was a master in his day.
According to Barnes discipline was the key factor in securing all three points.
“To score five goals, and not concede any, is a good day at the office for any coach,” Barnes relays to No Bones with Jones. “It was the perfect balance between attack and defence. It’s all about making players understand anything is possible if they believe in the almighty, identify their own ability and follow through with the coaches plans which requires discipline in order to execute effectively, and they showed that,” Barnes concluded.
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In other results Seaside Spurs beat Inter City by 2-1 at the Wynberg Military base.
Rest of the fixtures courtesy of 4th Moment
Ubuntu FC vs Ikapa Sporting
HBUFC vs FN Rangers
Harambee FC vs Young Bafana
Cape Town Spurs vs Saxon Rovers
