Shortwood United....................... 0

Larkhall Athletic...........................5

By Jim Cunneen

SHORTWOOD crashed to their biggest home Southern League defeat at Meadowbank on Saturday and the margin of Larkhall’s victory did not flatter them in the slightest.

And boss Alex Sykes said: “They did a cracking job on us today – they bullied us from front-to-back.”

In truth, Shortwood were as bad as the result suggests and only had one shot on target in the whole match.

And Larkhall never gave Shortwood any space, challenged for everything and always looked dangerous. There may have been a stroke of luck about their first goal but after that they took full advantage of Shortwood’s defensive frailties.

After only six minutes Joe Tumelty whipped in a strong shot from the right which took a big deflection past Tom King and although Wood responded with a lot of possession they rarely looked dangerous although a Bobby Humphreys low cross somehow avoided everybody as it flashed across the six yard box.

After 21 minutes Larkhall scored two goals in a minute to put Wood really up against it. First Knighton burst through and his cross found the unmarked Hobbs who shot low past King.

Then in their very next attack Knighton had time and space to send a far post diving header into the corner. Liam Meredith sent a shot well wide after 35 minutes, but that was the only Wood play of note as the game was largely played in midfield.

Wood were brighter in the second-half but Larkhall contained them comfortably. Bobby Humphreys fired a 20 yarder over and on the hour Matt Bennett smashed a shot straight into the chest of Ben John.

Sykes reshuffled his troops, but it was still Larkhall who retained the upper- hand.

After 88 minutes a dreadful pass set up Stinson to run through and shoot pass the helpless King and in added-time Tumelty was allowed to waltz through for number five and complete Shortwood’s miserable afternoon.

Shortwood: King, Humphreys B (Withington 78), Humphreys N, Weeks, Bennett, Hancock, Lee, Freeman (Blackah T), Morford, Meredith (Zamora 68), Price.