CANTON Liberal dominated in the all-Cardiff affair with Grange Albion this evening as prolific Christopher Quick scored a hatrick to give the Yellows the bragging rights.
The two sides who are just two miles apart from each other came together for the last midweek fixture for some time in the South Wales Alliance League as they played under the floodlights at Leckwith Stadium.
Quick who moved back to Liberal this summer after his first spell saw him score over 250+ goals for the Canton side was a key player on Wednesday evening and was deserving of the match-ball.
Liam Beattie would almost open the scoring for the away side as the Liberal keeper Aaron Fettah would come out of his goal to slide the forward to avoid him breaking into the box but it rebounded off of his shin and went narrowly wide for a goal-kick.
The home side though would also have an early opportunity and good work by William Laventure with good determination played in Stephen Ward who was able to pull off a header and it was saved by the Albion keeper, before Joshua Beddis hit a shot on the rebound which went out of play.
Laventure was proving to be a bit of a handful down the left-flank and his cross almost troubled Thomas Karaisko as he initially spilled the cross but clutched the ball to his chest to ensure that no Liberal player would get on the end of it.
Good link-up play between Omar Abdillali meant that he was able to whip in a cross and Liam Beattie’s header went just over, providing a real opportunity for the boys in claret and blue.
The Yellows would open the scoring though on the twentieth minute mark as Josh Beddis would find the path of Christopher Quick and he would shoot hard and low with a driven shot which would beat the keeper and give the Liberal the lead.
It would almost be 2-0 straight away after Anthony Brockway lost the ball in the box and Liberal’s Beddis put in a cross but Albion shot-stopper Thomas Karaisko claimed it.
Not long after, Brockway would make amends for his mistake as Liberal’s number six Jonathan Jerries would pull off a shot from the edge of the box, which Brockway would put his whole body on the line to block the shot.
Albion would have a number of chances to try and beak down the Liberal rearguard as Lavine Jones would put in a well-timed sliding tackle on Thamsanga Nyathi to stop him from scoring.
A few moments later, Liam Jeremy’s cross was blocked and deflected to the hands of Liberal keeper Aaron Fettah who remained untroubled.
For all the chances Albion had to try and equalise, Liberal would sting the away side just before half-time. Lavine Jones would whip the ball in from half-way where an Albion defender would attempt to header away but it fell to the path of Christopher Quick who danced through the defenders and he hit a deflected shot which went past the Albion keeper to make it 2-0.
The referee would blow for half-time with the home side taking in a commanding two-goal lead. The home side were in cruise-control for the first forty-five minutes and played the ball nicely around the pitch.
Joshua Beddis was a real bright-spark for the Yellows, helping orchestrate each Liberal attack whilst the Liberal defenders played the ball well out from defence.
Liberal’s defence restricted the Albion attack to posing a threat only from set pieces but Omar Abdillali and Thamsanga Nyathi were showing glimpses for Albion and were trying to create a number of opportunities.
The game resumed and it was Liberal who continued as they did in the first half as Christopher Quick went in search of his hatrick with a shot from outside the box but Kariasko saved well.
If Albion were going to score it was going to come through a set-piece and Liam Jeremy’s corner almost caught out Aaron Fettah completely, but for the Liberal shot-stopper palming it away from goal.
Liberal grabbed the third goal of the game though as Jonathan Jerries played the ball to Christopher Quick who beat the offside trap and had just the keeper to beat and rounded him to slot home and claim the match ball.
Despite taking a three-goal lead, Liberal weren’t letting up as a cheeky back-heel from Jonathan Jerries found Josh Beddis and his cross forced Jamie Grainger to head clear.
Up the other end, Stephen Ward put in a last-ditch effort on Liam Beattie to try and ensure that Aaron Fettah kept his clean sheet.
Albion were trying a number of ways to try and at least pull back a consolation goal and Anthony Brockway’s free-kick from half way almost did that as it caused trouble in the box but the Liberal defence stood firm.
Liam Jeremy would have a good opportunity as well as Albion were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box but his free-kick went over the bar.
Jack Kane was brought on to try and peg one back and after a silky run he won a free-kick in which he stepped up and hit a well-struck free-kick but Aaron Fettah punched the ball onto the cross-bar and out for a corner. Jeremy took the corner and the defence cleared the ball out of danger.
Kane was eager to grab a gal and again he shot after being played in by Luke Peachey and Fettah stood tall to deny the Albion substiute.
Fettah who almost got caught out early on in the game with a sliding tackle from out of his goal ensured this time that it would be less to worry about as he slid in well on another Albion substiute Aaron Harris.
The referee brought the game to an end in a game where Liberal showed their attacking prowess. Albion did have some chances to bring a more competitive feel to the game but the home side stood tall to deny Albion.
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