Express & Star

It's goals galore as hot-shots run riot

Early season strugglers FC Premier buried their disappointing start to the Redbox Signmakers Beacon Championship in no uncertain terms this week.

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Last season’s Martyn Chell Cup winners and NDT Midlands Lester Charity Cup beaten finalists ended a nightmare start to the campaign with an emphatic 15-0 home victory over Wyrley Juniors Reserves, writes Dave McLean.

Injury-hit FC Premier, who finished third in the championship race last term, had lost their opening four league games, but all that was put behind them as four-goal Elliot Milward led the charge on a day when no fewer than 110 goals were notched in the league programme.

In what was a comfortable success for FC Premier, four players bagged doubles, Russell Heathcock, Jack Wooldridge, Kyle Thorp and Brad Coward, as Scott Hill, Simon Gough and Robert Day completed the rout.

AFC Pensnett Panthers picked up maximum points on the opening day of the season, but had gone four matches without success. However, that all changed as Michelle Hinton’s charges chalked up a welcome 7-2 win against visiting Norton Canes.

In a closely-fought first period the Panthers held a narrow 2-1 advantage, going on to emerge comfortable victors with hat-tricks from Robbie Rice and Luke Bridgewater. Ashley Mason also found the net for the Panthers while Reece Edwards and Adam Hewkin replied.

Codsall Station hit back from their cup disappointment the previous week to sink AFC Springfield on the league front. Station raced into a five-goal half-time lead, running out 9-2 winners, goals from Rob James (four), Liam Davies (three), Tom Turner and Sean Wright.

It was five straight league victories for Old Cross Athletic, all after slipping up on day one at the home of reigning champions Dynamo Dudley.

In their latest fixture, Old Cross emerged impressive 8-0 winners over AFC Vale, who had won three of their opening four matches.

“We played some really good football,” said delighted Old Cross secretary Adam Long, who was one of seven scorers. Giving him excellent support were James Lunn (two), Connor Read, Adam Jones, Jared Kallah, Alex Jarrett and Ashley Thompson.

Hayden Hughes was the hero with four goals as new-boys New Gate Inn chalked up their fourth league win in five with a convincing 7-0 home success against visiting Claregate Park Rangers, who have now won three and lost as many.

After Hughes put away an early spot-kick, New Gate dominated long periods of the game and joining the former on the scoresheet were Wayne Spicer, Gary Wilson and George Tennant.

Penn Rovers boss Ian Craig admitted he was in dreamland as his winless outfit grabbed a shock lead against champions Dynamo Dudley through Lewis Edwards and went into the interval break with the same slender lead.

But back stormed Dynamo in the second half with a nine-goal blast to end Rovers’ hopes of pulling off the shock result of the day. Edwards did grab his second of the game, but he and his colleagues could not stop Dynamo making it six straight league wins.

Four-goal Ben Hickman was the player on top of his game in this latest Dynamo triumph, supported by Luke McDonnell, Steve Jones (both two) and player-manager Rion Francis-Mills rounded off the scoring.

The final two matches on the fixture card produced an incredible 39 goals. Title hopefuls Sandwell Action led the way with a resounding 21-0 drubbing of The Shed.

There was a double hat-trick for Connor Morris and also getting in on the scoring act were Seenesh Patel, Ryan Chalal, James Walker and Ricky Danton all with three, along with singles from Abdul Dango, Kiran Patel and Craig Gale.

Not far behind were Shere Punjab who clinched their third league victory in five, sinking AFC Sporting Gornal 17-1, as Alex Birch helped himself to five.

Substitute Razwan Akhtar also made an immediate impression with three goals in a 20-minute spell.

Two other Shere players celebrated trebles, Arun Sanghera and Kamil Hussain, while Amil Saman, Gagan Kullar and Yadger Kaways completed the scoring on what was a Beacon goal glut weekend.

Unbeaten Black Country Fusion ventured on the cup trail and pulled off an impressive 7-3 triumph away to Wolves Sporting Community U21s in the opening stages of the Staffs FA Sam Kimberley Cup.

Kyle Matthews inflicted most damage with a four-goal salvo. Johnny Chapman (two) and Reece Mann also helped secure a place in the next round.