Hartpury FC produced a five-star performance to beat Bishops Cleeve 5-1 at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium, on Tuesday night.
Goals from Noah Coates, Drew Robinson, Nathan Jenkins, Daf Hyett and Louis Manning secured an eighth game unbeaten at home and a massive three points in this Southern League Div One South clash.
The Acorns made just a single change from the squad that travelled to Portland on Saturday, as Riley McGregor returned the starting XI whilst Archie Hearnden made the bench, ahead of this fixture.
The Acorns made an unbelievable start finding the back of net inside two minutes, when Coates punished a parried Lewis Clayton save, following a low Morgan Ewing cross, turning the ball home from close range.
Jesse Aldridge tried his luck with a dipping volley, on 13 minutes, but the effort was gathered well by Clayton in the Mitres goal.
The game fell flat until the 33rd minute when Cameron Walters saw a flicked header deflected wide.
Manning struck one from 18-yards, following the resulting corner, straight at Clayton before Ewing dragged an effort past the far post a minute later.
Aaron Evans-Harriot almost got the Mitres back level on 41 minutes when his low driven effort took a slight deflection off Sol Kent and clipped the far post, sending the Acorns into the break ahead.
HALF TIME – HARTPURY FC 1-0 BISHOPS CLEEVE
Cleeve started the half strong and levelled the game up on 53 minutes, through a sweeping Evans-Harriot finish.
Jenkins had a chance to put the Acorns back in front just two minutes later but saw his effort form 18-yards fly over.
But the Acorns were not made to rue that missed chance, as they turned up the heat on a cold and wet evening in Gloucestershire.
Robinson swept an effort, neatly, in off the far post following a Jenkins cut back on 57 minutes.
Jenkins then got himself in on the goals when, after a driving run and nutmegging his marker, he delightfully guided his effort into the far corner on 73 minutes.
Three minutes later, Hyett had his first Acorns goal when he turned home a Manning cross after being left unmarked in the Mitres box.
Manning then rounded off the scoring with a lofted effort from 25-yards, on 85 minutes, following a poor clearance.
That completed a five-star performance from the Acorns who returned to winning ways in the league and continued their unbeaten home record.
The Acorns now face Falmouth Town at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium on Saturday, as we look to make it back-to-back wins and you can purchase your tickets NOW for this
one.
Hartpury Women's FC will look to make a club double over Bishops Cleeve, when they face their ladies side on Sunday at Kayte Lane.
FULL TIME – HARTPURY FC 5-1 BISHOPS CLEEVE
STARTING XI: Locke (GK), Kent ©, Walters, McGregor, Robinson (Preston 61’), Davies, Jenkins (Hearnden 86’), Aldridge (Hyett 71’), Coates, Manning, Ewing
UNUSED SUBS: Callow, Symons
CLEEVE XI: Clayton (GK), Turner ©, Liddiard, Langworthy, Evans-Harriot, Morcom, Feltham, Davis, Holliday, Sanniola, Smith
CLEEVE BENCH: Gilder, Sambu, Sutherland, Kotwica, McInerney
Written by Sam Yapp
