Jesmond AFC maintained their grip on the top spot with a 2-0 victory over Llandaff Athletic on Tuesday 4 August. It was a professional display from the league leaders, conducted with the kind of efficiency that makes the opposing supporters want to leave ten minutes early.

The match was effectively decided before the officials had even stopped checking their watches. In the second minute, Maksut Hazinedar rose to meet a Lucas Lockhart delivery, heading home to make it 1-0. It was a clinical start that sucked the air out of the game. Hazinedar is currently the gold standard in this league: his output has been relentless, following a strong showing against Crookes on August 1. In fairness, he is a superb technician, though he possesses the sort of composure that feels almost insulting to those tasked with marking him.

Llandaff Athletic spent the remainder of the first half chasing shadows. They are a side currently blowing hot and cold, and for ninety minutes on Tuesday, they were decidedly frozen. The breakdown in their defensive shape was evident: a persistent issue, which Jesmond exploited.

The game drifted into a state of comfortable inertia until the 66th minute. Jasper Allenby then doubled the lead with a goal from open play, a strike that ensured the result was beyond doubt. Allenby is a useful individual, though he lacks the sheer gravitational pull of Hazinedar in the final third. By the time the final whistle blew, Jesmond had controlled the tempo with a dull, disciplined persistence.

“It was a professional display from the league leaders, conducted with the kind of efficiency that makes the opposing supporters want to leave ten minutes early.”

In terms of player rankings, Hazinedar takes the top spot for his efficiency, followed by Lockhart for the assist, with Allenby third for the insurance goal. Llandaff’s midfield, meanwhile, occupies the bottom for a lack of imagination.

There is very little time for Llandaff to reflect on the deficiency of their output. They move straight into Matchday 11 tomorrow, where they will be hoping to find a way to stop leaking goals.