Monmouthshire Windows East Gwent League

Division 1

Sudbrook CC A 0 Severn Tunnel 10

FIVE goals from Chris Taylor helped Severn Tunnel get back to winning ways and boosted them to second in the table, writes Bob Cypher.

Taylor scored twice in the first half and set up Jordan Griffiths for a third, and his second-half hat-trick capped a superb personal performance.

Griffiths completed his hat-trick after the break as Sudbrook, who had a player sent off, found Tunnel’s pace too hot to handle.

Kyle McCabe and sub Tom Pickin completed the rout with individual strikes to bounce back from the disappointing home draw with Thornwell Red & White A seven days earlier.

Tunnel boss Paul Lovell said his players were keen to register a good performance before they meet Thornwell again in the Amateur Cup tie this Saturday.

“We changed the shape of our formation and we needed to step up to the mark after last week,” Lovell said

“We were bullied in the game against Thornwell and gifted them two goals so we felt we needed to get a good win ahead of the cup match.

“We certainly weren’t in the mood to be bullied this week. We still have Tom Atkins, Will Morgan and Nathan Wheeler injured but we have a strong squad and can take a lot of confidence from the football we played today.”

Morgan and Atkins are likely to be long-term absentees with Atkins saying he doesn’t expect to play competitively until next year.

“I’m having physiotherapy but it’s going to be a long job - probably after Christmas,” he said

Sudbrook’s Jon Clements paid tribute to Tunnel but said he was proud of the way his men competed even after being reduced to 10 men.

“Tunnel are a good side and in the second half, their fitness took its toll on us,” he said.

“But I am proud of the way the lads competed - they put in a good shift for us.

“We had a couple of chances early on and when they were 3-0 up we had a good chance to get back in it but after we had a player sent off it was always going to be tough.”

In the only other Division 1 game, Rockfield Rovers won 3-2 at Undy Athletic.

Rovers travel to Trinant in the First Round of the Gwent Amateur Cup on Saturday.

Thornwell face Severn Tunnel in the same competition while in the league, Caldicot Castle A entertain Monmouth Town, Port and Sud A are home to Undy Athletic and Iscoed Tafarn welcome Sudbrook CC A.