WOLSTANTON SEIZE CHANCE TO PUT PRESSURE ON TITLE RIVALS
WOLSTANTON United moved level on points with Premier Division leaders Brereton Social after sweeping past Audley 6-1.
Social were without a game because of the weather - and Wolstanton took full advantage in their home match... and they still have a game in hand.
Jamie Kempson followed up a shot that hit the bar to put Stant into a fourth minute lead, only to see his side pegged back by an Elliot Spooner equalizer midway through the first half.
Shortly before the half-hour Wolstanton stalwart Peter Ford was on target to give his side a 2-1 halftime lead.
The second half saw the hosts extend their advantage when Kempson was once again on target with their third after 51 minutes followed in the 68th with a Jordan Hall strike.
Substitute Chris Broad powered home a 71st-minute header to earn Stant a fifth and a spectacular Richard Smith effort bagged their sixth, five minutes from time.
Ashbourne put five past lowly Eastwood Hanley in their meeting.
Charles Mann grabbed himself a hat-trick with Kyle Clowes and Ricky Wright also on target for Adrian Webb’s Shrovetiders.
Silverdale Athletic ran out 4-3 home winners against Lichfield City.
Lee Pickerill gave Silverdale Athletic a second-minute lead with Macauley Davies adding a second in the fourth to seemingly set them well on their way.
The arrears were reduced in the ninth minute when Haydn Brown pulled a goal back for the South Staffordshire outfit.
Luke Biddulph ensured normal service was resumed when he added a third for ‘Dale shortly before the interval.
The 51st minute saw Brown once again on target for the visitors, restoring some belief in the Lichfield ranks which was further enhanced on 70 minutes when Bobby Watson levelled proceedings.
With the game heading towards an interesting climax, Josh Davies struck for the hosts in the 80th minute to secure the points.
In the second round of the Leek Cup, City of Stoke Reserves won 5-3 on penalties at Audley Reserves following a 2-2 draw.
Jake Bennett and Jack Harley were on target for the hosts with a Gareth Humphries brace ensuring the tie went to penalties.
Cresswell and Cannock United also drew 2-2 - with the former progressing on spot-kicks.
Dyllan Hall and Tom Wheeldon were on target for Tom Lloyd’s hosts with a Luke Russell brace the replies for Mark Taylor’s visitors.
Cresswell prevailed in the shootout 3-2.
Florence firsts beat their Division Two youth side 6-5 on penalties.
The visitors started brightly and certainly had the better of the chances in the first half, hitting the woodwork twice and forcing some good saves from the home side’s keeper.
The youthful hosts took the lead against the run of play in the 56th minute when they caught the first team on the break.
The final half hour saw all the play concentrated in the home sides half and they defended well.
In the 86th minute an excellent strike from Richard Owen levelled the score, before the firsts won 6-5 on penalties.
Division One Hawkins Sports thrashed Division Two Warstones Wanderers 8-1.
Edward Page notched a hat-trick, while Will Morris bagged a brace with other strikes coming from Jack Dunn, Tom Galloway and Liam Pike. Oliver Jones netted the solitary reply for Wanderers.
Hat-trick hero Josh Ward led the scoring for Burton-based AFC Real Medina in their 5-0 cup victory over Simon Dean’s Stone Old Alleynians A side. Mike Wilson and Murtaza Haidary were also on target.
In Division Two North, Audley Development won 3-1 at AFC Alsager Development.
Tamin Strein gave the visitors a fourth-minute lead with Issac Brennan equalising for the South Cheshire Swans 10 minutes later.
Jamie Wright put the visitors once more into the lead at the mid-point of the first half and the points were secured for the visitors nine minutes from time when that man Strein added his second and Audley’s third.
Elsewhere, the students of Keele University Reserves thrashed the travelling Shrovetiders Reserves from Ashbourne 5-0 at the University Campus.