Isaac double makes Hunts pace-setters

Midland Counties Youth ­Championship

Huntingdonshire U16 4 ­Herefordshire U16 0

AN IMPRESSIVE performance saw Hunts complete the double over their visitors after their U18 counterparts had won at Hereford in the FA Youth Cup.

In the early exchanges at Rowley Park, the home of St Neots Town, the teams looked very evenly matched and there were no early chances created as both defences looked dominant.

Then, after 13 minutes and almost from nowhere, Neil McPhee picked up the ball in midfield and sent Simon Isaac clear to open the scoring.

With Callum Jarvis and McPhee impressive in midfield, Hunts began to look the better side and McPhee had a half-chance that was eventually dealt with by the visiting defence.

Defensively, Hunts looked very sound with skipper Carl Piergianni dominant at the back, and with their goalkeeper rarely tested, they looked good value for the half-time lead.

The second half was barely a minute old when Hunts scored a second goal to give them a firm grip on the game.

Ben Yeomans was the provider with an accurate cross that picked out McPhee and his precise shot left visiting keeper Ed Coombs helpless.

Herefordshire then replied positively and almost pulled back a goal when a cross from Josh Fry found the head of Aidan Thomas in the six-yard box, but home goalkeeper Sam Palmer produced an instinctive save to push the ball over.

On the hour, Coombs produced a fine save to deny Isaac, but from the resulting corner swung in by Isaac the ball was turned into his own net by a defender to extend the Hunts lead to 3-0.

With the home side well in control it was no surprise when they added a fourth goal. Simon Isaac produced good skill to round both defender and goalkeeper only to see his narrow angled shot rebound from the foot of a post. However, Isaac reacted quickest to pick up the rebound and score to complete a convincing victory that took Hunts to the top of the league.