Abbeymead Rovers Res....................... 1

Alkerton Rangers................................ 5

ALKERTON produced a five-star performance, including a Dave Potter hat-trick.

Kev Bond’s charges went for the Abbeymead jugular and were on the board inside the first minute when Chris Pearce’s deflected 25-metre drive deceived the home custodian.

Wave-after-wave of Alkerton attacks saw Potter, Henry Turner and Lewis Vanstone all denied by last-ditch defending and excellent goalkeeping, and Vaughan and Kirk Wilkinson saw their long-range efforts sail agonisingly wide.

The second goal duly arrived on 22 minutes. Kirk Wilkinson threaded a pass to Potter on the left and his cutback was slotted in by the onrushing Turner.

Minutes later Potter made it three when he drove home another exquisite Kirk Wilkinson ball.

However, defensive complacency by the Snakey Lane eleven led to Vaughan Wilkinson conceding a penalty on 35 minutes but stopper Chris Stark easily dealt with the tame Abbeymead spot kick.

After the break it was more of the same Alkerton pressure and the dismissal of a player on 51 minutes worsened the Gloucester side’s plight.

Potter notched his second on 59 minutes after Pearce blocked an attempted clearance leaving him to drill into an unguarded net.

Pinning Abbeymead back, Rangers created chance after chance with Potter and Lewis Vanstone thwarted by point-blank stops, Scott Hindshaw’s header clipping the upright and Turner’s slaloming run ending with a crossbar-rattling rocket.

Poor tracking gave the home side opportunities and Stark pulled off a splendid save at his near post.

Long attempts by Potter, Pearce and Kirk Wilkinson failed to trouble the Abbeymead goalkeeper, but Potter completed his hat-trick on 84 minutes after being released by Kirk Wilkinson.

Almost immediately, Alkerton laziness gave Abbeymead an opening and Stark was left helpless by a lofted shot.