Match Report
Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
London Colney
Mickey Shuttlewood 79
Arlesey Town
Charlie Moss 1, 17, 41, Archie Sayer 48, Cillian Webb 69
If Carlsberg did debuts - Martin Standen enjoys superb start at Arlesey
Archie Sayer scored as Arlesey Town enjoyed a big win at London Colney. - Credit: DANNY LOO PHOTOGRAPHY
If Carlsberg did dream starts for managers then this was it.
Martin Standen's first match in the hot-seat at Arlesey Town ended in a 5-1 win away to London Colney in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.
It was a decent return to the Blues for Charlie Moss too who hit a first-half hat-trick before Archie Sayer and substitute Cillian Webb wrapped things up in the second period.
Mickey Shuttlewood's goal on 79 minutes was a deserved consolation but the injury-hit Blueboys were given a lesson in front of goal.
Action from London Colney's game with Arlesey Town. - Credit: NEIL METCALFE
The first team selection of the former Harpenden Town boss, and up until October Colney Heath defender, saw four changes from Adam Randall's side who beat Holmer Green last time out.
Released from his caretaker role, Randall was one of those to come in, alongside Archie Sayer, Charlie Moss and Brett O'Connor.
They replaced Tom Millett, Edward Nash, Alex Taylor and hat-trick hero from one week earlier Reece Cameron.
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There were also four changes for London Colney.
Samuel Fearon-McCaulsky, Ross Mercer, Jack Mace and Kambo Smith were the men coming in for Montel Joseph, Jimmy Hartley, Andre Odetola and Herbie Townsend.
Any manager wants to see his side start well but even this was probably beyond Standen's wildest dreams - and those of Moss too.
The Blueboys kicked off but coughed the ball up instantly on the halfway line.
From there it was recycled quickly down the left and when the cross came in from Sayer, it found its way to Moss in the middle who side-footed home.
His second was fortunate and the lack of celebration proved it.
Picking up the ball on the right of the 18-yard box, his attempted cross into the middle skewed up and towards goal, foxing Fearon-McCausky and dropping over his head.
His treble came with four minutes of the half remaining and came down the left again, an area that proved very profitable for the Blues.
It came from Reece Crowter and look to be going out until Sayer kept it alive.
He laid it back into the middle to Moss who took a touch before turning and rifling it low to the left of the keeper.
There were other chances before that for Arlesey, both to Sayer but his first one, a downward header, was kept out by Fearon-McCaulsky's legs before the Colney man stopped an effort that was straight at him when Sayer went in one-on-one.
But it was by no means one-way traffic and if the hosts had been as clinical in the box as their visitors, it would have been a different story.
Kambo Smith sent one across goal from the left and wide while from a fairly similar position Finbar King hit the side-netting.
Mace had their best chance from a free-kick that was nodded down to him but on the stretch, his effort was pushed away by the quickly advancing Ryan Hilliard.
Colney had to do something and boss Jack Metcalfe made two subs at the start of the second half to try and reverse their fortunes.
The hopes they would have a positive effect lasted three minutes as Sayer finally got the goal he'd been threatening, firing low to the left of the keeper from inside the box.
The goal visibly sunk the morale of the home side and although there was a brief rally, it didn't bring any real chances.
And Arlesey showed no let up in their ability to turn chances into goals with a superb strike from Webb, just one minute after coming on.
He shifted the ball a yard to his right foot before thumping a drilled effort across the keeper and in.
Bruno Brito brought a save out of Fearon-McCaulsky with a shot that was arrowing towards the top corner before Colney pulled one back, Shuttlewood having too much time to poke home a free-kick delivered into the six-yard box.
It was the one black mark on the day, one which Hilliard especially was not happy about, but it was a minor gripe on a great day for the club and their new boss.
London Colney: Fearon-McCaulsky, Simmons, Makuku (Gill 46), Mercer (Odetola 46), Armstrong, Shuttlewood, Mace (Tolley 66), Olaleye, King, Montvydas, Smith.
Sub (not used): Coughlan.
Goal: Shuttlewood 79
Booked: Shuttlewood 65, Olaleye 76
Arlesey Town: Hilliard, Gharmarinezhad, Lamond (Tuttle 70), Revels, Randall, Ziboud, Sayer, Brito, Moss (Webb 68), O'Connor (Millett 70), Crowter.
Sub (not used): Metso.
Goals: Moss 1, 17, 41, Sayer 48, Webb 69
Booked: Randall 57
HT: London Colney 0 Arlesey Town 3
Referee: Sam Laidler (Chelmsford)
Attendance:
