LISS started like they meant business on what began as a perfect night for football last Tuesday.
They were at the game from the start winning all the first and second balls.
In the first couple of minutes they could have scored but for a grea
t last-ditch block by a Hamble defender, but all this did was spur Liss on even more, and from the resulting corner the ball was headed out and fell nicely for Badcock to fire a brilliant volley into the Hamble net.
Liss should really have built on this, but Hamble then started to dictate the play, and although there was no real danger from the front men, Liss seemed out of the game.
Thirty minutes in and the heavens opened, and it became very difficult to see because of the driving rain. The driving wind into the Liss defence caused problems for Liss keeper Adam Cork's kicking, but he was more than up to anything that Hamble had up front.
The second half started with Liss really upbeat and looking for the win, and a lot of free-kicks could have seen Liss increase their lead but for some good defending.
Liss got the breakthrough on the hour when McQuillan won the ball about 25 yards out, and with chest control and thigh control, a right-foot flick and a tremendous left-foot shot gave Liss a 2-0 lead.
A series of fouls led to silly bookings for the Hamble players as they lost some self-control and Liss took full advantage. Neal won the ball on the left and sold the whole Hamble defence a dummy, and he played the ball into Gordon who hit a thunderous right-foot shot that had the bar rattling.
Liss continued to press and won another corner. The ball was booted out, but Neal got to it first and hit a great shot that the keeper managed to save, but the power on it caused a lot of back spin that took the ball into the net, making it 3-0.
Northcott, on a really unlucky streak working hard and doing all the right things, found it was just not happening for him.
Liss: Cork, Stokes, Humprhies, Harris, Bamber, Menaldino, Badcock, Gordon, McQuillan, Neal, Northcott; subs: Billinge, Cawley, Roberts, Gregory.
The full article contains 397 words and appears in PP-Post Edition newspaper.
