RONIN​​WANDERERS

A confident performance from Ronin after last week's horror show of an opening fixture.

 

Wanderers, without key players Waldon and Murphy, but welcoming back goalkeeper Bartram, played with focus and precision, and could perhaps have won by a greater margin.

 

Hayes and Brine ran midfield at a steady tempo from the beginning, and after a tidy (and very rare) headed goal from substitute Bales put Ronin ahead, they rarely looked in trouble.

 

A slaloming run and nutmeg finish from Pickard extended the lead before, in the second half, Brine wrapped up the victory with a header from a floated and poorly-dealt-with Farrell corner.

 

Hanworth created a few chances as the game went on, but were unable to capitalise, coming closest with a couple of tame shots straight at Bartram, and any breaks were dealt with well by the goalkeeper and covering defenders.

 

Unfortunately for Ronin, Freddy Corner, star of the early part of the game, was withdrawn after around ten minutes with a ankle injury that could keep him out until winter. Corner's versalitity and workrate has long been a useful asset to Wanderers, and the utility forward will be missed.