Mathern Wanderers 8 Blackrock Rovers 1 (From Free Press Series)

Mathern Wanderers 8 Blackrock Rovers 1

2:37pm Monday 15th October 2012 in Sport

East Gwent Senior League Division - 1 Mathern Wanderers 8 Blackrock Rovers 1

MATHERN Wanderers maintained their three-point lead at the top but they needed a magnificent seven goals after the break to subdue a stubborn Blackrock Rovers.

Despite a succession of corners in the first period, Mathern held the slenderest of leads thanks to Wayne Duffield’s near-post header from Billy Jeffery’s pinpoint cross.

Rovers always threatened through the height and power of Dave Skinner and they too wasted good chances to equalise.

Whatever Mathern manager Gareth Moore said to his men at The break, worked within minutes as Duffield doubled his score rising unopposed at the far post to head home from Alex Bell’s headed flick.

Shane Murphy added the third with a deep cross which flew inside the far post and Duffield completed his hat-trick firing the ball past keeper Terry Boston from the edge of the penalty area.

Hywel Pugh made it 5-0 with a clever lob and Murphy scored his second with another teasing cross which eluded everyone to drop inside the far post before young Dan Chappell got in the act to make it 7-0.

At that point, Moore made some substitutions, bringing on a couple of youngsters including himself!

With his team-mates trying to set him up with a goal rather than having a shot themselves, Mathern went off the boil and once again missed out on a clean sheet when Connor Bryant found room to score a consolation for Rovers.

That stung the home side into action and Pugh scored his second just before the final whistle to make it 8-1.

Moore declined to say exactly what had been said at half-time.

“We have been guilty of being slow starters,” he admitted. “I told them they needed to do the things we do best - short passes, to feet -and the goals would come.

“There were a lot of regular first-teamers out today. We lost Shane Dash who is suspended, Rich Wood is working away and Tom Marmont was resting ahead of doing the Cardiff Half Marathon tomorrow (Sunday).

“That is why I put myself down as a sub and we also had Some of our Under-18s team in the squad. We were too anxious in the first half but we settled after the break and I thought we were superb.”

Rovers manager Leigh Taylor echoed his words.

“Mathern were a country mile ahead and I can see them wrapping up the title early,” he said.

“But I’m not despondent. I saw enough good stuff from My team to suggest we will chase them all the way and we just have to keep the pressure on as long as possible.

“I was happy with the way we performed in the first half But Mathern were a different team in the second half and we couldn’t hold them.”