Town hammer Newbury

Town did not allow the distractions of a thirty minute late kick off, caused by the visitor’s late arrival and needing to us the hosts’ alternative kit, to prevent them romping to their biggest win since October 2003 against a very poor Newbury team.

The match also saw the return from suspension of Dan Jewell who celebrated with his first hat trick for the club and a man of the match performance from substitute Sam Cripps, who entered the game on ten minutes.

Wide men Jewell and Luke Williams gave the Newbury full backs a torrid afternoon as they sought to take on their markers who were more than happy to back off and concede ground rather than make a tackle and such action led to the opening goal on six minutes. Williams was allowed to run at the defender and cut in side before shooting low from the edge of the penalty area, inside Kenny Taylor’s right goal post.

Newbury did respond well and forced Town to concede a number of free kicks in their own half but a lack of thought in taking them resulted in the hosts failing to put any pressure on the home defenders.

Jewell set up Williams for a shot that Taylor parried and evaded the advancing Cripps before seeing his effort blocked in the goal area from a Jamie Fairchild cross. However, the teenager got the break through on thirty minutes when he cut in from the right to fire to the right of Taylor.

Newbury’s best chance came five minutes later when Kalief Madden rounded Craig Beales to shoot goal wards only for Warren Baxter to throw himself across the goal line to steer the ball away for a corner.

Three goals in five minutes early in the second half secured Town the points. In a repeat of the first goal Cripps, having received a pass from Williams, was allowed to run and shoot from the edge of the penalty area on fifty three minutes. Jewell beat the offside a minute later to lob the advancing Taylor before completing his hat trick on fifty seven minutes when he reacted quickest to Taylor’s parry of a Richard Thomas shot.

Jason Peters penalty area tackle on Thomas prevented the full back from scoring before Carl Davies found him self free of the defence to slot pass Taylor on sixty three minutes for the team’s sixth.

The wide men continued to cause problems as Newbury faded and Town exerted pressure with Davies and substitute Richard Wallis failing to score. However, with the game entering stoppage time Cripps set up Davies for his second to complete the scoring.

With Holyport losing at Finchampstead, the final game of the season at home to ‘Port will see Woodley secure third place if they secure all the match points in what has been a very creditable first season in the Hellenic League.

Beales, Nunn, Belcher (Cripps), Baxter, Nightingale, Hiscock, Jewell, Thomas, Fairchild (Wallace), Davies, L Williams, Sub Not Used: Wilder