Kempton Park FC’s Palmer rules the day with six of his own
This was the stuff of dreams and Palmer was BCC’s biggest nightmar.
The ILFA Super League started on Saturday and last season’s runners-up Kempton Park faced Bedfordview (BCC), who are back in the Super League after winning the ELFA Premier League last season, scoring 66 goals in 18 games and losing only once.
They were an unknown quantity and not to be underestimated.
Kempton needn’t have worried though. This young Bedfordview side had no answers to a rampant side who played with speed, skill, passion and an incisiveness they had no answer for.
Euclid Palmer ran rampant and you had to feel a little sorry for the beleaguered defenders tasked with marking him. Five minutes in and Palmer outstripped the BCC defence down the left and slid the ball home for Kempton to take the lead.
Palmer’s second goal was almost identical. Humphrey Botopela stroked the ball out to Mbuso Thango, who knocked it inside to Dion Homela for him to drive his trademark pass onto Palmer, who easily beat his defender down the left and side-footed inside the right-hand post.
For the next 20 minutes, Kempton toyed with the inexperienced BCC side, squandering three or four chances that could have been taken. The defence, on the other hand, was barely troubled with Grant Terrey acting more like a winger than a fullback and centre backs KG Ramokhoase and Quenn Hartride having the easiest games of their lives.
Five minutes before the break, the lead was three. Musa Mthembu swapped passes with Palmer before fiercely crashing the ball beyond a hapless goalie.
There was more to come before halftime. Homela put Palmer through on goal for an easy chance but in an outstanding show of skill, Palmer decided to cut inside one and outside another defender before side-footing into the roof of the net from 12 yards (about 11 metres) out.
A hat-trick in the first half cannot be sniffed at and a 4-0 halftime lead is always welcome.
The Palmer Show was in full swing when a Terrey pass sent him down the left. He left his marker in the dust and flew along the edge of the penalty area before cutting left, leaving another defender heading the opposite direction before planting the ball along the ground just inside the left hand upright.
Palmer’s fifth of the day was a gem. When the ball was floated out of midfield just inside the box, his control was instant and he dinked the ball past an onrushing goalkeeper and in off the left post.
Substitute Didi Kasalu joined in the fun when he was sent clear by a perfect Homela pass and he easily finished side-footing beyond a shell-shocked BCC netminder.
Palmer’s performance reached new heights after he collected a long ball down the right. The defenders were all over the place as his pace drove him past one, past another, past a third before curling an exquisite shot around the keeper and into the top left-hand corner.
This was the stuff of dreams and Palmer was BCC’s biggest nightmare. Six goals from one player in a game is something not often witnessed.
The Kempton coaching staff showed a little mercy and took Palmer off with 10 minutes to go. Every defender must have said a little thank you prayer.
Although they had been given a football lesson, Bedfordview ploughed on and was rewarded with a consolation goal when keeper Cameron Cosway, who was largely unemployed all day, allowed a speculative long-range shot to wriggle underneath him and into the goal.
No guesses for who received Man of the Match.
Kempton plays away at Zwide in the Huntersfield Stadium in Kathlehong on Saturday.
The Kempton Park second side disappointed with a 2-2 draw with their counterparts from Bedfordview.
Kempton had already missed three good chances before Rudolph Komape drove home from close range after a goalmouth scramble.
Kempton was seemingly untroubled until a low bobbling strike beat stand-in goalkeeper Ayew Maseko low to his right.
Kempton took the lead midway through the half when Paul Lamola freed Given Maredi down the right. He skinned his defender and fired in a beautiful cross that Komape headed home.
Kempton missed a host of chances in the second half. Didi Kasalu failed to connect with a header, Komape fired over twice and an Andy Mbo shot was well saved.
BCC equalised when a powerful shot from the right was misjudged by Maseko and thudded into the back of the net.
Thereafter it was all Kempton. Kasalu struck the crossbar with a header and looped another over it. Dominance did not turn into goals and BCC were rightly delighted with their point.
