Manor Farm ran their own personal goal of pre season competition and they put 7 screamers past a hapless Ashton and Backwell in a perfect performance on the road.
Farm started as if fired out of a cannon, just 2 minutes played when Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist found Lucas Vowles whose superb back-heel turn sent him through and his low finish thundered back off the post. Farn would strike first and early for the third consecutive friendly, Jamie Bird beating two players inside before his reverse pass found Vowles who made no mistake at the second time of asking. One became two after 10 minutes, a gorgeous flowing move with Leigh-Gilchrist playing a one-two with Mike Bryant before sliding across for Vowles to tap in for his second.
Vowles almost secured his hat-trick soon after, collected Ashmead’s ball across but the Stags keeper was equal to his effort.
The front three of Farm were tormenting the hosts every time they attacked, first Leigh-Gilchrist finding Bird who couldn’t convert and then Lewis himself placed wide a few minutes after. The third never looked far away and it came on the half hour, the ever lively Bird collected inside the box and held off three defenders before finding the near top corner. The Farm defenders also wanted in on the action, first Jamie Turner hammered a header wide and then Lloyd Mills volleyed over from close range. Farm were relentless in their pursuit of more, Bryant was played through but denied by the keeper before the half time whistle finally gave some measure of respite for Ashton and Backwell.
In was inconceivable that Farm would improve on their first half display but 15 minutes later they would better it with interest. Two minutes in and it was four, Tyler Ashmead held off 3 defenders before his unstoppable effort nestled in the near post. A few minutes later it got even worse for the home side, young substitute Evander Grubb skipped inside the box before unselfishly finding Jamie Bird who feigned shots and twisting and turning left 3 defenders and the keeper sprawling on the floor before finding the net with ease. If that Bird goal was special, the one that completed a superb hat-trick was perfection. A superb free-kick from fully 30 yards that arrowed into the far corner, with the home keeper once again helpless. Mike Bryant had done everything but score but on the hour mark he put pay to his blank scorecard in style. A crunching but clean tackle retrieving him the ball before unleashing another absolute peach into the top corner from outside the area. The goals may have slowed after the hour but the performance did anything but, Vowles denied a share of the match ball by first a block and then a save before Llewellyn Ntihemuka’s rocket was beaten away by the keeper. Leigh-Gilchrist almost turned provider again late on and his burst into the box and low cross nearly allowed Vowles the third he firmly deserved.
Star man – Jamie Bird