Bronti lights up cup tie
Returning winger hits a hat-trick as Crows see off Haringey
SSMFL Premier Division Cup
Royston Town 4-1 Haringey Borough
JOSH BRONTI made it five goals in two games since his return to the club with a hat-trick against Haringey on Tuesday night at Garden Walk.
Royston didn’t get off to the best of starts, though, and they fell behind to Luke Bryan’s early strike. But Bronti, who rejoined the club a fortnight ago from Stotfold, got the Crows back on level terms shortly afterwards before he struck twice more after the break along with Lewis Endacott to secure their spot in the next round with a home tie against Hillingdon Borough.
Manager Paul Attfield made seven changes to the side that beat Hanwell Town on Saturday, giving debuts to 18-year-old goalkeeper Will Norris, former AFC Dunstable defender Warren Plowright and 17-year-old former Liverpool Academy forward, Aldo Walsh.
With new partnerships on the pitch finding their feet Royston looked a bit disjointed in the first half and struggled to find fluency in their passing. And the visitors were decent value for their lead when Bryan struck in the 18th minute after the Crows had conceded possession.
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Royston improved as the half wore on and they equalised on 37 minutes when the impressive Kaan Fehmi put through the overlapping Bronti who found the bottom corner.
Norris made a stunning save at the start of the second half to keep the score level and from then on Royston began to dominate. Another home goal looked likely and it arrived on 72 minutes when Bronti picked up the ball from a half-cleared free-kick and hit a sweet 30-yard half volley that crept inside the motionless keeper’s near post.
It only took another five minutes for Royston to kill the game off when Endacott headed in unmarked at the far post from a corner and Bronti completed his hat-trick late on when he swept in from close range following a clever free-kick routine by the Fehmi brothers.
Royston Town: Norris; Whitaker, A Fehmi, Plowright, Cain; Bradshaw, Edwards, Bronti, Walsh (Endacott); K Fehmi, Young.
