A headed hat-trick from Mason Bloomfield extends Hampton & Richmond’s unbeaten run to eight games, as they trashed Maidstone United 5-2.
As well as Bloomfield boosting his league tally to seven, Luis Fernandez headed in his first goal of the season and Ben Seymour converted yet another penalty.
Fellow play-off hopefuls Maidstone were inflicted just their third loss of the season, despite goals from Sol Wanjau-Smith and Devonte Aransibia.
Inviting deliveries from Sam Deadfield and Jake Gray, from a corner and free-kick respectively, ensured the arial presences of Fernandez and Bloomfield were felt as both nodded home from close range to send the Beavers 2-0 up after 17 minutes.
What happens when you play a winger at centre-back? With Dean Inman suspended, Mel Gwinnett was on a mission to find out as Isaac Pitblado filled in for the man mountain.
And by the 27th minute, Maidstone had equalised. Wanjau-Smith with a low driven shot to the near post and Aransibia tucking away a penalty conceded by Pitblado shortly after.
But from then on, Hampton & Richmond did not look like a side without a key player, in fact their play oozed with peak level confidence.
Deadfield ensured Maidstone would be practising defending set-pieces next week, as this time his delivery was met by Bloomfield who dived low to convert and restore Hampton & Richmond’s lead before the half.
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. And Maidstone clearly could not contain crosses onto the head of Bloomfield, even into the second half. This time from open play and delivered excellently by Jordan Thomas, to complete the striker’s hat-trick.
Anyone who has attended a home game at the Beveree this season, has seen Seymour tuck away a penalty. Today was no different as the referee could take his pick on whether Bloomfield or Ruaridh Donaldson was fouled in the opposition’s area.
To make matters worse for Maidstone, they were reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining, as the penalty-scorer Aransibia was dismissed with a second yellow for arguing with the referee.
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