Manor farm made it successive Saturday successes as they ran out 5-1 winners away to Avonmouth. The game began without the usual two linesman as one was running late, but unlike the tardy Fourth Official, Farm wasted little time in getting the action going. Just 4 minutes passed when captain Jay Adams, who had played 90 minutes the previous evening, crashed home from distance to give the visitors an early lead. Two minutes later and it was two. Jamie Bird placing a superb free-kick home after Mike Bryant was fouled on the edge of the box. The break-neck pace didn’t settle there, Avonmouth got themselves on the scoresheet after 11 minutes. Hesitation in the Farm defence saw Reece Purnell tap in following a low ball across the face by Reece O’Donovan. Farm quickly set about on the hunt for the lost two-goal buffer but found home keeper Aaron Harvey and his crossbar, in determined mood. Firstly the keeper saved from Bryant and then the upright denied Lucas Vowles on two occasions. The linesman finally arrived and just in time to see Farm make it three before half time! Tyler Ashmead’s superb cross was powered home by Aron Robbins and into the break we went. A chance to breathe!
The second half began at the same frantic pace and similarly to the opening 45, Farm wasted no time in getting off the mark. A fourth different scorer and a second direct free kick on the 50th minute. This time from the boot of Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist. Harvey in the home goal certainly wasn’t discrediting himself, a stunning save from a Robbin’s effort kept farm at bay before he once again relied on his woodwork, this time Leigh-Gilchrist who was millimetres away after his deflected effort bounced off the post. Avonmouth were still showing spirited signs and could have easily reduced the deficit after an hour, only denied by a fantastic block from the Farm skipper Adams. From the hour mark it was the Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist show. In the space of 20 minutes he had seen an effort saved, another cleared from the line, a freekick narrowly over and had somehow squandered a chance from point blank range! Thankfully for the forward he would finally get the second goal his endeavours deserved, bending a superb effort into the top corner with the final kick of the game to grab his brace and give the scoreline a fairer reflection of the afternoon’s dominance.