MATCH REPORT

Lordswood returned to winning ways with a workmanlike performance which perhaps didn't deliver the wow factor of recent games but gave three points and a first clean sheet of the campaign.

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Darren Anslow kept faith with the 11 that started against Erith on Saturday, whilst welcoming back Juljano Marku to the squad after missing the last two games.

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As in recent games, the Lords started the stronger side looking to play a strong and patient passing game and Daniel Pepple saw an early chance blocked after being played in by Marlon Patterson.

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Tyler Anderson-Parr was next up to try his luck, receiving the ball on the left following good play by Pepple he skipped past his marker but his effort from 16 yards was comfortably gathered by Lee Kidman in the Punjab goal.  Pepple then fired over under pressure from the Punjab defence after receiving Jamie Taylor's throughball.

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Anderson-Parr once again shot straight at Kidman from the edge of the area after an excellent pass from Patterson before Punjab probed at the other end with WIlliam Johnson-Cole cutting in from the left but shooting straight at Rilwan Anibaba from the edge of the box.

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With 39 minutes on the clock, Lordswood took a deserved lead.  Alexander Brefo fed Pepple who turned his marker before taking two defenders out of the game with a reverse pass to Jordan Samuel. Samuel's cross from the right was blocked into the path of Pepple who saw his effort blocked by a desperate defensive lunge but the ball fell kindly to Anderson-Parr who tucked the ball into the bottom corner from 6 yards.

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That was the end of the first half action and the Lords went into  the changing room much the happier side. Michael Kuku was brought on for Sheriff-Deen Babatunde for the start of the second half with Babatunde tending a knock.

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Kuku was quickly into the action, smartly breaking up a Punjab attack on the left and sending the ball to Anderson-Parr.  Anderson-Parr broke forward at pace, neatly skipping a desperate lunge from the fullback and passing the ball left to Samuel.  Samuel cut inside and shot from 18 yards but his effort went wide.  Moments later and again Anderson-Parr broke forward, feeding the ball to Klaudio Krasniqi who passed to Samuel on the right wing.  Samuel agan cut inside but this time his left footed effort sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

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Anderson-Parr looked to add to his tally, dispossessing a Punjab midfielder 30 yards out before advancing and firing an effort over the bar from 25 yards.  

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Punjab found themselves temporarily reduced to 10 men as Joe Loft found himself in the sinbin for dissent.  To Punjab's credit they then started to have their best period of the game.  Passing the ball about well as they looked to find a way back into the game.

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Anslow looked to freshen things up, bringing Shaike Kamara on for Samuel and switching Anderson-Parr onto the right wing.  This should have paid instant dividends for Lordswood as Pepple was guilty of missing a gilt edged opportunity, firing over from 8 yards following a great run and cross from the right by Anderson-Parr.

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Anibaba had been pretty much a virtual spectator most of the game, but he was called into action to make an excellent vital save in the last 5 minutes when it looked like Punjab had found a way through the Lordswood rearguard

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Luke Medley replaced Pepple and he was quickly involved in the action, receiving the ball on the right before cutting inside and firing narrowly over the bar from 20 yards.

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Kamara then drew an excellent save from Kidman after playing a superb one-two with Krasniqi, but his left footed effort from a narrow angle was well turned away for a corner by the Punjab shot-stopper.

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Anderson-Parr sealed the victory in time-added on with his and Lordswood's 2nd of the evening.  He dispossessed the Punjab defence 25 yards out before surging forward, jinking past an attempted tackle and firing low under Kidman.

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Lordswood move up to 2nd in the league with a game in hand and one point behind Corinthian who sit top.  Next up is a trip to Gillingham to face Hollands & Blair on Saturday in our first derby game of the season.