City set up fine finish

RIDGEONS FIRST DIVISION Ely City 2 Cornard United 0 ELY ended their home league campaign with a win against Cornard with a goal in each half. Ely need to win their last game at Tiptree on Saturday to be certain of a top-six finish, and manager Dennis Lig

RIDGEONS FIRST DIVISION

Ely City 2 Cornard United 0

ELY ended their home league campaign with a win against Cornard with a goal in each half.

Ely need to win their last game at Tiptree on Saturday to be certain of a top-six finish, and manager Dennis Lightning confirmed he had an idea of who he wants to be part of the squad for next season.

Vinnie Long headed against the bar early on, but Robbie Mason's contender for goal of the season opened the scoring after five minutes. The ball fell to him just outside the box and he crisply drove it home past the Cornard keeper's despairing dive.

Soon after, Mason spurned a good opportunity by shooting over and he also had a shot saved just before half-time.

In between these two openings, Lawrie Carter, who impressed in the centre of the park, blazed over twice.

Mason was guilty of missing further chances in the second half, but it was Simon Warren who put the icing on the cake after 80 minutes. His looping header from an Andy Chatters corner made it 2-0, and was nothing less than Ely deserved.

Lightning said afterwards: "I felt that not finishing our chances was the problem.

"I said to the lads at half-time that I felt that Cornard were not here to win a game of football and that we were starting to fall into a trap of thinking it was too easy.

"I felt that in the second half we needed to get the ball down and play a bit more, and we did that."

He added: "I said when I took over that I would look at the whole squad and that is what I'm trying to do. I know who I want to be here next year and I'm working on that at the moment.