Newly-promoted Aldershot & Farnham maintained their unbeaten start to the new SE Premier League with a 3-1 win over Canterbury II.
But manager Ian Jennings had told his troops not to get carried away with their fine start.
“We can’t get ahead of ourselves – much stiffer opposition are just round the corner,” he said.
The Shots started the match at a rapid tempo – something that had been learned from the previous league matches.
Penalty corners resulted after astute play by Morhall and Boot, with Perry converting two within the first ten minutes with well-worked routines.
There was no let up from the Shots with their attacking momentum maintained by rapid movement of the ball by Treadgold and Boot and incisive forward play by Groves and Chinn.
Chances were missed despite almost relentless pressure created by the tireless chasing down of Canterbury players whenever they tried to break from defence by Smith, Frost, McCafferty and Combes.
Canterbury astutely altered tactics in the second half and it became more difficult for AFHC to penetrate and get into the opposition D.
A goal on the break from one of very few chances Canterbury created provided a stern test for AFHC, especially when reduced to nine men for a five-minute period.
Fitness told, as well as the defensive skills of Herring, Weston, Hall and Wilkinson, who carried the ball forward with great calmness and effect and Canterbury attacks were repelled.
Another penalty corner and another Perry goal restored the two-goal buffer to the end of the match.
Jennings said: “We need to be much more clinical in front of goal – the chances we create need to be upgraded to corners or goals and not wasted chances.
“But our movement off the ball is becoming more slick and it is resisting the opportunity to drive forward down the same channels that is providing the opportunities further up the pitch.”