GIANT KILLING SENDS SHOCKWAVES THROUGH CUP DRAW

As Cal Lewis is fond of telling, it takes greed, aggression, talent and a phenomenal work-rate to succeed on his terms yet the 6s are making the hard art of victory look routine. Progression in the cup was claimed with ease against Woking.

Wandsworth ended the contest before half-time as a Marek goal, Kershaw header and Mills tap-in brought an emphatic interval lead over the visitors. If any results are included, this is now the finest start to a campaign in the 6s illustrious history. They are racking up wins while in second gear, not that anyone is looking too far ahead, of course.

“I once lost seven games in a row” said Cal. “Yes, it is a surprise but the performances we showed so far were good enough to win all the games. Different styles and different opponents but the boys were always there.”

Wandsworth’s formation was even more adventurous than usual with Johan handed his first start in a floating role behind Marek, who was deployed as the central striker with Mills left and Watkins right. The summer signing was given only 45 minutes to impress against his former club. It was enough. Johan instigated the breakthrough when he collected Watkins' piercing pass following a corner, cut inside a Woking defender and shot for goal. It would have sailed wide but for a deflection Marek's arse. 1-0.

Wandsworth doubled their lead from another corner, conceded by a superb challenge on Stu as he shaped to convert Kershaw's return pass. Marek swept the delivery deep and Kershaw towered above the Woking defence to head his first Wandsworth goal in an age into the top corner. The game provided a further demonstration of the widening gulf between the Division 8 South’s leading lights and their supposed competitors. Woking did not play particularly badly and Wandsworth were a long way short of their intensive, dominant best; yet they still strolled off at half-time three goals to the good. “It would seem so,” said the Woking skipper when asked if the gap was growing. “I’d like to think that, on our day, we can give the best teams a good go. Hopefully we will prove that along the way but you have to acknowledge that Wandsworth have a settled way of playing, personnel who have been here a long time and a captain who has been here a long time as well. They are clearly building something here.”

Number three was a simple but important tap-in for Mills. Cal had played down concerns over the fat Welshman's form ahead of the game but, evidently, the source of 4 goals last season has not yet recaptured his sharpness. Mills went close several times, with one audacious backheel beating the keeper but trickling miles wide of the far post for a throw-in, before reacting more quickly than anyone to convert from close range after Watkins had struck the bar with a free-kick from 25 yards.

Mills was replaced by Forman at half-time as Cal reverted to his trusted 4-3-3 formation and Wandsworth coasted. “I told him I’d never substituted such an influential player at half-time before who wasn’t injured,” lied Cal.

The second half was flat by comparison, with Woking clawing one back, although the watching Jeremy Corbyn, on his way out of the city for the Labour party conference, can only have been impressed by the mighty Borough. At some point, Marek scored his second of the day. Some third team players played as well.