Gordon completes first hat-trick for the Puritans

The Puritans romped to a 5-1 success in Saturday’s BetVictor Southern League clash at basement boys Leiston where Gordon’s treble haul saw him move on to 14 goals in all competitions.

Besides his hat-trick, Gordon was also involved in every attack, and linked up well with his team-mates. Fellow striker John Mills was also on target for Mike Ford’s side in the Premier Central success.

United’s strike-force was the difference between the two sides and it was the hosts who passed up the early chances to get their noses in front. Joshua Hitter and Rhys Henry tested Jack Harding who then almost gifted Leiston the opener. Harding got caught in possession inside the six-yard box by William Davies before the ball bounced back over the line for a goal-kick.

That woke United up and, completely against the run of play, they took a 15th minute lead when a cross was headed goalwards by Gordon, only to be stopped on the line but the ball rebounded off central defender Harry Knights and past keeper Charlie Beckwith. Ten minutes later, new signing Andrew Fennell should have done better when he was put through on the left but he blasted over the bar.

Gordon found the unmarked Mills who was superbly denied by Beckwith before Pablo Haysham saw his penalty appeal waved away. Leiston had chances before the interval through Kyran Clements and Henry.

United were a different side in the second-half and took full control for the first time in the match. In the 59th minute, they increased their lead when Haysham played a superb pass through for Mills to run on to on the right and the striker placed the ball past Beckwith with ease for a perfectly engineered goal.

Four minutes later and it was 3-0 when a poor back pass from Knights went well wide of Beckwith who still had all the time in the world to clear the ball. But he hesitated and Gordon pounced to slip the ball into the empty net from the edge of the six-yard box.

In the 67th minute, the goal of the game arrived when a measured cross by new on-loan signing Morgan Roberts found Gordon at the far post and his diving header flew past Beckwith.

To their credit, Leiston didn’t give up and Byron Lawrence saw his effort just clear the bar. But Gordon completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute in superb fashion when he raced on to a great ball out of midfield and ran through before slotting the ball past the hapless Beckwith from just inside the 18 yard box, to round off a very successful day for the striker.

In the first minute of stoppage-time, substitute Jerry Kamanzi scored a consolation for Leiston when he sent in a fierce drive from the edge of the area which beat Harding.