Town's first home league game win of the season

After three consecutive cup matches Town were back in league action welcoming Burnham Reserves to Scours Lane. The visitors sat one place above Woodley going into the game but it was Town that ended the day in the better position after a comfortable 4-1 win.

Town were able to give striker Steven Campbell his first start since early September, the dangerous forward having missed the last month due to injury. Full backs Ben Gonzalez and Matt Molloy were deployed in midfield whilst Adam Cashin-Murray was given a free role just behind Campbell.

The game started with a lot of midfield possession with neither keeper being tested. The first shot of the game went to the away side with a powerful shot from twenty yards was straight at Town keeper Dan Smith. Eighteen minutes in and a good move by Burnham saw the lively Alex Dimitriovel put in a dangerous cross, it found Andy Forisky but his shot was put wide after good closing down by the Town defence.

Town’s first chance resulted in them taking the lead. A Craig Cox cross from the left was headed on by Campbell and Cashin-Murray was at full stretch to turn the ball into the roof of the net. A minute later and it could have been two as Cashin-Murray and Campbell linked up once again. The former’s knock down found the latter but his shot was skewed wide.

Town did double their lead just after half an hour, but it came in bizarre circumstances. Molloy kept the ball in play on the goal line, while the Burnham defence thought it would run out of play, and hit the woodwork. Campbell reacted but his shot went straight up in the air, with the Burnham defence and keeper all leaving it for each other Campbell was able to bring the ball down unchallenged and make Hasan Hussain in the Burnham goal make a decent stop. The rebound was brought under control by Cashin-Murray who showed a cool head to get his and Town’s second.

Five minutes before the break and Dimitriovel showed great skill to dribble into the box from the left flank. His cross was cut out at the back post by Craig Cox who injured himself in the process whilst a speculative shot by Amin Khamsi was well blocked by Town captain Gary Smith. Down the other end a Campbell shot was turned round the post for a corner.

Three minutes into the second half and Town made their first change. Craig Cox was still feeling the effect of the knock he received at the end of the first half and was replaced by Doug Groves. This saw Groves go into midfield and Molloy revert back to left back.

The opening ten minutes of the second half were similar to the start of the game with the game bogged down in midfield and little in the way of goal mouth action. The visitors were clearly feeling that the game wasn't going their way as felt offside decisions were going against them. On the fifty seventh minute Seun Odusanya replaced Campbell up front, then the first half chance after the break went to Burnham, David Pitt showed good strength to shrug off a Town challenge but his shot from eighteen yards was blocked.

An hour gone and Town made their final change. Ben Marshall replacing Mikey Alleyne. Burnham sub Brandon Baker-Timms then had an eventful five minutes. Seconds after coming on he headed over after finding space in the Town box, then five minutes later he was shown a straight red for dissent. In between those two instances Town had the move of the match. Cashin-Murray, Gonzalez and Carlton Cox combined down the right, the latter put in a superb cross which found Odusanya, but his header just missed to the left. The linesman’s flag was up anyway but the move deserved a goal.

Fifteen minutes from time and it was nearly three when midfielder Jason Awbery's shot from twenty five yards hit the bar. Town were having a lot of success down the right and they thought they had got their third when Odusanya turned home a Cashin-Murray cross but the linesman’s flag was up again. Eighty minutes gone and it was three. Carlton Cox found himself in acres of room in the box and he coolly slotted home after great work by Cashin-Murray.

With the game drawing to a close Burnham got a consolation when Adam Goldie fired past Smith into the bottom left corner. Moments later they were nearly right back in the game when Owen Richardson raced clear. Dan Smith was off his line quickly and was able to gather the ball before a shot was taken. Heading into stoppage time and Cashin-Murray was denied his hat-trick when Hussain saved smartly, he then turned provider when his cross from the right was tucked in by Groves to seal Town's first home league win of the season

D. Smith, Alleyne (Marshall), Douglin, G. Smith, Craig Cox (Groves), Gonzalez, Awbery, Carlton Cox, Molloy, Cashin-Murray, Campbell (Odusanya)