Bulldogs hit eight goals

Bradenham Wanderers 8, Blofield Reserves 1

THE scoreline was a bit harsh on a Blofield side that came up against the Bulldogs bang on form.

With three games to play, Wanderers are now four points clear of Loddon Reserves at the top of the table, who slipped up at St Andrews, and five ahead of East Harling. Cromer are eight points behind but have three games in hand.

This week, again the Bulldogs are at home, Wells Reserves the visitors to Hale Road with a kick-off time of 2pm, writes Mick Alcock

For the first time in a long while the Bulldogs went into their Dolphin Autos Anglian Combination Division Four fixture with an unchanged starting XI.

The only change to the squad was the recent signing of Bobbie Buchan from neighbours Mattishall replacing Kyle Goodge on the bench, who decided it would be of more benefit to play 90 minutes with the reserves.

Bradenham defended the slope and from the first whistle everyone was up for this game, knowing any slip could spoil their chances of promotion.

On 10 minutes Tufts intercepted a diagonal through ball from the opposition and in turn sent Rick Forder away into the box. His skill took him past the nearest defender and goalkeeper, leaving him enough space to squeeze in the opener.

In the 14th minute John Allison received the ball 25 yards out, and spotting the keeper off his line hit home a perfect volley.

Blofield battled away but couldn't find a way through the resolute home defence.

On the half-hour mark a superb Garrod pass found Jamie Craig, who was under pressure from a defender but coolly struck home with a half-volley.

Going in at half-time with a three-goal cushion was a fantastic achievement considering the blustery conditions not being in the Bulldogs' favour.

If the sizeable crowd that now gather at Hale Road thought the home side would ease off in the second half they were very much mistaken. A wicked cross from Craig in the 50th minute was met at the near post by the inrushing Marc Galer, who made no mistake with a thumping header from eight yards.

Bradenham made their first change with Sexton coming on for the impressive Harry Potter. He settled straight into the game but could not stop the visitors reducing the deficit from a scramble in the box which should have been cleared.

Bobbie Buchan then entered the fray for his debut and was soon in the thick of the action, when, from one of his interceptions, he set Allison away down the left. After his first cross was blocked, his second was met at the far post by Buchan, who crashed in from a few yards.

Five goals from five different scorers was pleasing, but the forwards were not going to rest on their laurels as Forder challenged a high ball in the visitors' box, again from a Craig cross. The ball bounced off his chest and into the open net, leaving the opposition complaining to the referee that they thought the keeper had been impeded.

With 10 minutes to go John Allison got in on the act when he struck home from the edge of the box, and five minutes later he completed his well-deserved hat-trick to round off his MoM performance.