Hartpury FC made it a winning return to the 4ED Hartpury Stadium on Saturday, following a professional 4-0 victory over Shaftesbury AFC.
Nathan Jenkins picked up four goal involvements alongside a Morgan Ewing finish and Billy Osborn brace, securing a third successive Southern League Div One South victory.
A single change to the starting line-up, for the first time in a few games, saw Jesse Aldridge come in for Riley McGregor and Tommy Duff join the side on the bench.
The game started slow with Acorns seeing the first real chance of the game come on 12 minutes, when Louis Manning struck from 18-yards straight into the goalkeeper’s arms.
Osborn went the closet three minutes later, when he met a low Manning cross, but his stretching effort was well smothered Alex Rutter, in the Rockies goal.
The Acorns grew into the game and found the breakthrough on 24 minutes, when Jenkins slide through Osborn who rounded Rutter and buried his effort into an empty net.
Drew Robinson produced some fantastic defensive work to keep the Acorns in front, on 31 minutes, when he perfectly timed a sliding tackle denying Jack Hoey a low effort.
As the half drew to a close, Manning found himself through on goal and pulled the trigger from 18-yards but saw his effort fly over the bar, seeing the Acorns take a narrow lead into the break.
HALF TIME – HARTPURY FC 1-0 SHAFTESBURY AFC
The Acorns came out flying in the second half, as they doubled their lead on 50 minutes Jenkins again fed through Osborn who drove his effort into the bottom left corner for his second of the afternoon.
Kian Davies tried whipping a free-kick towards goal, on 56 minutes, but saw his effort flash over the bar.
Shaftesbury came close to pulling a goal back when Brett Pitman looped an effort from 18-yards onto the roof of the net, on 59 minutes.
A minute later, Jack Hoey saw a volleyed effort fly over the bar, from just inside the area.
The Acorns dominance continued on 62 minutes, when Noah Coates saw a headed effort from close range beaten away by Rutter.
Two minutes later, Jenkins saw a low driven effort parried right into the path of Coates, who could only see his follow up effort smash the upright.
Jenkins got himself onto the scoresheet on 66 minutes when he delightfully picked out the top right corner, from 18-yards.
Pitman tried to turn home a low corner for the Rockies, on 82 minutes, but could only pick out the side netting.
Tom Hewlett volleyed over from distance, on 87 minutes, for the visitors who were struggling to find a way back into the game.
And straight down the other end, Ewing completed the scoring for the Acorns when he calmly swept home from close range, after Jenkins yet again played him through.
That goal wrapped up the points for the Acorns and saw them extend their unbeaten run to five games.
The Acorns are back in action next Saturday, as we travel to Portland United in the Southern League Div One South.
FULL TIME – HARTPURY FC 4-0 SHAFTESBURY AFC
STARTING XI: Locke (GK), Kent, Robinson, Walters, Ewing, Aldridge, Davies (Silva 68’), Jenkins, Coates (Duff 90+1’), Manning (Hyett 78’), Osborn © (Preston 52’)
UNUSED SUBS: Symons
SHAFTESBURY XI: A. Rutter (GK), L. Wakefield, S. Pike, B. Murray ©, J. Hoey, Santos, T. Hewlett, S. Thorpe, B. Pitman, O. Hughes, H. Morgan
SHAFTESBURY BENCH: O. Glover, H. Jordan, H. Redknapp, A. Whitfield, C. Murray
Written by Sam Yapp
