Saturday 4th October 2025
The M7s romped to a richly deserved first win of the season in the shadow of the Shard in Wapping.
After a spirited performance and 0-0 draw from a new-look 7s last time out against London Royals, the lads came into this one looking to convert the attacking promise they showed in Redbridge into goals.
At first, it was hard going, despite a very positive start. The 7s dominated the ball for the first half but couldn’t convert a number of good chances, short corners and pressure into a lead, with the two sides going in level.
But there was plenty of encouragement for new captain Andrew McDonald at half-time, particularly in the press, which had left Wapping struggling to string together more than a few passes before a turnover.
At the other end, a strong backline anchored by Toby Ferguson and Gordon Fautz had comfortably dealt with everything Wapping threw at them, with Anthony Prigmore in goal a spectator.
Into the second half, the pressure told early doors. Strong running from right back Oli Tipton led to an opening for a shot from McDonald, which was well saved. But after further pressure from fellow forwards Alex de Bacci and James Risdale, the ball eventually popped up to new boy Connor Bennett, who made no mistake with a simple finish.
From there, the floodgates opened. Excellent running from Bennett on the right and a nice pass from Risdale created a chance for his second, and from a tight angle, Bennett swept the ball past the keeper for two-zip.
The 7s continued to dominate, even through a brief period down to 10 men, thanks to a green card. In his only touch (literally) of the game, Prigmore dived to play a nice pass with his stick to McDonald on the wing as Wapping looked to break. That was as good as it got for the men from the docks.
The 7s added a third from a short corner not long after, with Risdale drag-flicking home via a deflection from a Wapping man on the line. Protests that the ball was going wide fell on deaf ears.
As the dominant troops from the south looked for more in the closing stages — aided by superb performances from attacking full-backs Andrew Jones, Oli Tipton and Will Elias on rotation, and a cast of excellent midfielders and hard-working forwards — a late short corner on the final whistle offered a chance.
Though the ball was cleared, and may well have just left the D, Connor Bennett played to the whistle and reversed the ball into the goal to complete his hat-trick — and add a bit of gloss to a dominant, impressive performance.
Wapping M8 0-4 THD M7
Goals: Connor Bennett X3, James Risdale X1