The Ammers were bit by six second-half goals from Albion Sports in a 6-0 defeat in the NCEL Premier on Saturday afternoon.
[Photo by Sean Chandler]
Hass Gorji (2) began the stalk of three points from The Lions at the Southerns Stadium, assisted by the supporting pack of Zak Khan (2), Awais Khan and Thomas Ponter
Alfie Wilkinson went the closest for Ammers, skimming the bar having again attempted his chances from distance.
Jake Boyd was awarded the Ammers’ captaincy on his return to the starting line-up, accompanied by three further returnees Fabio Intumbo, Ras Diamond-Jnr and Newton Conde.
A fast start was almost taken advantage by Ammers who had rounded Albion ‘keeper George McMahon but scuffed the shot in the drenched surface.
Spencer’s clearing header from inside his own box set Diamond-Jnr racing down the left before he turned the ball inside to Alfie Wilkinson.
The attacking-midfielder steered round a challenge, knocking the ball into Jamal Stewart before Newton Conde was sent chasing a pass down the opposite side.
The right-winger’s cross ran all the way through to Spencer again at the far post, poking round McMahon and into Diamond Jnr beside the penalty spot who mis-hit his shot with a number of Albion defenders on the line.
Albion’s response saw an initial shot blocked on the edge of Ammers’ box before Jahro Parchment, advanced into Ammers’ half from his right full-back base, lofted a cross to the back post where The Ammers’ captain was waiting to clear.
Awais Khan ran onto a pass down the left-hand side of Ammers’ box, attempting to curl inside the far top-corner, just narrowly missing.
Not long since now-forward Diamond-Jnr had been judged offside had Hass Gorji hit the post of the Ammers’ goal.
Wilkinson had the ball glued to his foot for the opening half-hour and it was no different with his first touch for this move, quickly chipping the Lions’ back three to set Diamond-Jnr, having swapped positions with Jamal Stewart, through on goal before the flag was raised.
Gorji, Albion’s top scorer so far this season, then drilled an effort against the outside of the near left-hand post just moments later from inside the Ammers’ box.
Stewart made the ball stick down the right-hand of Albion’s box, shielding against the pressure Kamron Basi, able to roll the defender to shoot against the block of McMahon’s body who kept the score goalless at half-time.
Albion restarted the quickest, taking a lead inside two minutes of the second-half, Hass Gorji finishing off a clearance from Albion ‘keeper McMahon.
Boyd won the initial race, tracking back to cover the ball over the top of the Ammers’ defence but his weak clearance ran straight to Gorji to the right to finish, first-time, from 6-yards.
Gorji’s break down the left almost set-up Tabish Hussain with a drilled cross to the far post but the receipient lifted his shot well over.
Hussain instead assisted Khan for Albion’s second goal in ten minutes.
Khan’s through ball down the left to Hussain was intelligently returned with a mid-flight back-heel first-touch.
This set-up time for Khan to shape his body, inside the box, to drill a low shot into the far corner.
Robbie Fox continued Albion’s attacks with the final header after pinball inside the Ammers’ box following a corner, lofting his attempt over Intumbo’s bar.
Thomas Ponter’s poked finish from on top of the goal line completed Albion’s third after Albion were denied initially by the bar.
Fabio Intumbo strongly saved the first shot, the rebound bouncing off the top of the bar and dropping to Ponter who couldn’t miss.
Wilkinson again flexed his distance-shooting, skimming the wrong side of the bar with a half-volley from 25-yards and central.
Ponter went just as close from the same range, forcing Intumbo to tip over.
The resulting corner, and Gorji, extended Albion’s lead.
The delivery from the right ran through the crowd and inside the far side-netting, Gorji escaping the huddle with his arm raised in celebration.
Albion added a fifth of the half when a diagonal ball from half-way on the right, landed on Zak Khan’s head at the far post to direct through Intumbo’s legs.
Zak Khan scored the sixth, his second, in typical fashion for Albion thus far, racing onto a through ball from deep and placing across Intumbo, into the bottom right-hand corner.
His shot from the edge of the box, moments later, bounced past the left-hand post.
Wilkinson tried to close the gap when put through by Niall Bent’s success in a 50/50 inside his own half.
The attacking-midfielder rounded his marker down the left and shot hard against McMahon’s block at his near post, keeping his clean-sheet for full-time.
Ammers now pause from competitive action for ten days, at which time they host Hallam in the NCEL Premier, kick-off 7:45pm.