The slippery pitch played no small part in the game tonight, the rain starting just before kick off and continued throughout the match.

 

The home side’s early pressure was a wake up call for Edgware, Dave McMurdoch broached the Wares defence and was through on goal with only Darren Bonfield in goal to beat and but for Mark Buchanan running back and making an excellent tackle the visitors could have been a goal behind.

 

The Wares were quick to counter, Morton had a volley cleared off the goal line from Gavin Hart’s corner and Junior Lewis thundered a shot past Chris Chambers in the home goal only to have it ruled offside with 13 minutes gone.

 

However, some slack defending allowed Rod Gwynne to run in from the right and beat Bonfield to put his jubilant team a goal ahead on 18 minutes. This sparked a fierce reaction from Edgware, good work by Lewis set up Ben Cain to level the scores 2 minutes later and then a minute after that a back heel by Adam Wallace saw Lewis turn the defence to give Richard Morton the shot to make it 1 – 2.

 

On 24 minutes a run down the right by Wallace and a cross into Cain to score his second and then a great individual goal by Wallace made it 1 – 4 just past the half hour mark.

 

Five minutes later Morton made it 5 with one of his now trademark free kicks 10 yards outside the area beating the wall and giving Chambers no chance of saving his blistering shot.

 

Cain scored his hat trick when Chambers came out of his goal to collect the ball, which slipped from his grasp, the tall striker casually walked the loose ball into goal with a couple of minutes left on the clock.

 

Royston won a corner in the dying seconds of the half and the ball was centred for Jez McMurdoch to score, to send his side in at the break with a small vestige of dignity trailing 2 – 6. The spectators having witnessed 8 goals in less than 30 minutes of football.

 

Edgware substituted Phil Kane and brought on Steve Brady for the second half. The Wares continued where they had left off, Morton broke free of his marker and was through on goal only for Chambers to pull him down in the box, the referee awarded the penalty, Morton scoring his hat trick from the spot 6 minutes into the second half. Almost immediately Morton was substituted for Ross Christie.

 

The pitch was getting very heavy, but it was again some lack lustre defensive work that allowed Jez McMurdoch space to cross the ball into the area and give his brother Dave McMurdoch a free header to bring the score to 3 – 7, 55 minutes in and it was just before the hour they allowed Jez McMurdoch to score his second making the score line 4 – 7.

 

Two minutes later Mark Buchanan made it 4 – 8 and the Wares could have scored more, Steve Brady fired straight at the keeper when he had a chance and Paul Killick also hit the keeper when his best option would have been to square the ball to Cain loitering in the goalmouth. Lewis hit the post and although Killick was on hand for the rebound he also hit the upright.

 

To be fair to the home team they were full of running and although a little physical they made it a contest right to the final whistle, they just didn’t have the firepower at Edgware’s disposal.

 

EDGWARE: Bonfield, Lewis, Kane(Brady), Smith, Buchanan, Gardner, Moore, Morton(Christie), Cain, Wallace(Killick), Hart.

 

OTHER SUBS: Fernee, R Blackburne