Southern League

Division One South & West

Cinderford Town.....4

Wantage Town.......1

CINDERFORD Town’s sumptuous fourth goal by Kyle Knott summed up a second half performance bordering on exhibition football at times. Four should have been seven as Town crushed a brave Wantage team that started so well, but just couldn’t sustain their efforts for both periods of play.

John Brough’s option to play Sammie Hicks from the start proved a great success. It took a while for the talented youngster to get going, but when he did he proved more than influential on the game.

On 10 minutes Lee Smith should have done better as a move down the right involving Sheehan and Thomas presented the in-form striker with Town’s first opportunity, his finish rolling just wide of the upright.

Wantage raced away from the goal kick for their first chance but Gio Wrons saw his effort go high and wide of goal.

But the visitors took the lead after capitalising on a rare Keiran Thomas mistake, robbing Town’s captain just outside the box. The resulting cross edged over the line by Nick Kataloutis via a deflection by James Fawke.

Town were rattled, and for a short period, the visitors controlled the match under the command of captain Sam Collier, the ex-Cirencester Town man.

It was Hicks, now in an advanced position, that started the Wantage collapse. On 34 minutes, Hicks collected 30 yards out and took just several strides to line-up and unleash the most perfect of shots, as he hit the underside of the bar as it crashed past a stranded Cavanaugh in the away goal.

Hicks almost grabbed a second five minutes from the interval, neatly flicking a cross from Knott just over from 10 yards.

The hosts’ next goal came via former rival Collier, who turned in Thomas’ by-line cross 49 minutes in.

Wantage were now denying the inevitable and on the hour mark, when skipper Thomas’s powerful drive crashed into the bottom left from 25 yards, there was no return.

Town had sealed their fourth 15 minutes later and yet another sensational goal at The Causeway with what is possibly the goal of the season.

After a series of one touch passes between Hicks and Knott on the far left, Knott cut in slipping his marker, and saw his 25-yard attempt creep just inside the post.

Chances from substitutes George Lloyd and Ryan Shaw could have extended the lead, but on a night when leaders Banbury were thumped 7-1, the 4-1 victory moved Town closer to glory with five games in hand and just one point off the top.