GOUGH TAKES ON WOUNDED SAINTS

IN the immediate aftermath of their crushing 18-0 Buildbase FA Vase dismissal, North West Counties Division One South basement side St Martins appointed a new manager.

Former Wem Town boss Josh Gough, who had been No.2 at Midland Premier Haughmond, has replaced James Etherington who had quit days before last Saturday’s

first qualifying round home mauling by Hinckley AFC.

Etherington, 29, who played for Grimsby Town, Wrexham and Maidstone, had been appointed in May last year, but resigned after their previous defeat that left them winless at the foot of the table.

St Martins director of football Steve Garnett said: “He’s a local manager who has plenty of experience in and around this level of the game. He wanted to be a No.1 again despite enjoying his position of assistant manager at Haughmond this season.

“He believes he is the right man to turn around our season and so do we as a committee.”

Gough has appointed Ryan Butcher and Dave Smith as his assistants, Martyn Fitzsimmons as coach and Dan Whittall as goalkeeping coach.

Meanwhile, Kai Gibbs and Joel Heely each scored four goals for United Counties Division One outfit Hinckley and Charlie Evans three, as nine different players add their names to the club record score, the others being Ryan Murphy (two), Ben Kendrick, Jeremie Agholor, Ryan Slinn, Ben Whitehead, Jack Edwards.

The last ten goals were all scored by teenagers.

Their manager Courtney Belford described the result as “crazy and unbelievable.” Hinckley’s previous highest score was 13-0.