Merton Rovers hammered Westside III 10-0 at Wimbledon Common Extensions on Saturday, thanks to a superb 5 star display by Man of the Match by Paul Tuckey which condemned Westside to their seventh straight league defeat of the season and cemented Rovers title hopes.

The day started off badly as the pitch designated to Westside III was taken by two other teams meaning this Kingston & District 5th Division clash started later than what was anticipated.

The confusion this created actually benefited Rovers as the game was moved to a better pitch than what was previously allocated and this suited Rovers progressive mixed passing game.

Rovers started the goal scoring early when midfielder Jaime Robins threaded a pass into the path of stand in winger Bobby Smith. This was intercepted by the hand of the Westside left back just inside the Westside penalty area and the resulting spot kick was fired in off the keeper by Tuckey.

Warren Curl then made it two-nil with the first of his two goals as the industrious midfielder shot across goal from a Nathan Mclarty cross. Playmaker forward Mark Ford then finished a good passing move to make it 3 nil shortly after this and then Curl scored again with a carbon copy of his first.

Tuckey scored his second goal of the game when he raced through and slid the ball past the on-rushing keeper. This was followed closely by a smart finish as he scored again to put Merton 6 nil up from another neat move started down the left by full back Tienne Marola and Bobby Smith.

This meant that Rovers went into half time full of confidence and desperate to improve their already impressive goal difference in the league.

Although Rovers introduced a couple of substitutes at half time a touch of complacency set in. But even though Westside were allowed to see more of the ball, they never seriously put Rovers lead or dominance of the game in doubt.

Several chances went begging, including a couple of spectacular misses from player-manager Paul Mitchell. The most amazing was from only a couple of yards out after he had easily beaten the opposition keeper to a cross and he headed towards the empty net only for a defender to stick out a leg on the line.

Bobby Smith then zigzagged Ronaldinho-esque past one, then two, then three defenders to see his route to goal blocked by a crude body check that winded the wide-man until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Tuckey got his forth around 10 minutes into the second half which settled Rovers nerves and the game in their favour.

Second half substitute Mr Ed Buckley then scored a remarkable goal which was similar to Lampards' effort v Barca in the Champions League, looping up and over the Westside keeper from out wide on the by-line.

At one stage the fanatical Rovers supporters soon became bored with the one way footballing spectacle that the game turned into and started to create a Mexican Pyramid', apparently to retrieve a ball kicked onto the roof of the changing rooms.

The experienced Tony Mclean was then brought on for the impressive Tienne Marola and got on the score sheet continuing a habit of a lifetime of arriving late. This time he turned up in the Westside penalty area, and following a goal mouth scramble he volleyed home from 8 yards, without a hint of shinning it.

With the sun fast heading towards the horizon, Tuckey finished off a superb move that started with the defence through the midfield for him to hit a dipping drive from the right hand side of the Westside penalty area.

Man of the Match - Paul Tuckey (10/10) led the line superbly, with goals, good passing and a dogged display hassling opposition defenders.