Division One (West)
Slimbridge FC 6 Witney United 0
A disastrous half-hour spell either side of half-time saw Witney slump to their heaviest ever defeat of the season at Slimbridge. United who were missing Gaston Guei and Scott Dash through suspension started with an adventurous 3-4-3 formation and for the first thirty minutes were equal to their higher placed hosts. The home side came close twice in the opening ten minutes with Sean Cantwell clearing off the line after a shot by the impressive Edward Ward and Mike Baker having a fierce shot brilliantly held by Danny Clifford. United fought back though and were beginning to stamp some authority on the game and Ben Border should have done better after a mazy run by Cantwell set up a scoring opportunity. It was Cantwell again who created Witney?s next chance when a near-post low corner fell to Chris Meddes who was unable to get his shot in on goal.
With 10 minutes to half time though the hosts made the breakthrough when a cross by Ward went straight to the head of the un-marked Mike Baker who placed it firmly into the bottom corner. It got worse just two minutes later when Ward crossed again and Rich Moore saw his header come back off the post only for Baker to react quickest and fire home for. Baker then completed a six- minute hat trick when he side stepped Meddes on the edge of the box and drilled home low and hard past Clifford. Amazingly United who had been looking good for 0-0 at half time found themselves three goals down and looked shell-shocked as the left the field.
Half Time: 3-0
All hopes of a fight back were dashed within three minutes of the restart when a long ball by Andy Pritchett found Mike Sheppard who fired the ball across Clifford giving him no chance to make it 4-0 to Slimbridge. This goal knocked the stuffing out of United and Slimbridge poured forward and it was a case of, not if, but when the fifth would come. In the 64th minute Justin Vanstone was robbed of the ball in the box by Marc Thomas, he ran unchallenged in the area to cross to new signing from Yate Town Julian Freeman who tapped in to an empty net. Within 60 seconds it was goal time again when Sheppard sprung the offside trap and gave Clifford no chance. United had only one real effort on goal in the second half whit Cantwell firing a direct free-kick into the hands of Ryan Chandler in the Slimbridge goal. Witney played out the last 15 minutes with only 10 men when having made all three substitutions Ricky Dash had to limp off but they held out to ensure no further embarrassment.
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