Ashes' dismantle Buckland with superb first half display

AFTER a much-improved display in a goalless draw at Newquay last week, Saltash opened a new box of fireworks at Kimberley on Saturday to the delight of their supporters.

They blew away promotion-chasing Buckland with four goals in the first half – two headers from Deacon Thomson and two rockets from Kieran O’Melia.

They then managed the second half brilliantly to earn their second consecutive clean sheet and their first win in six games.

Manager Lee Britchford said: “In the first half we were ruthless and that’s been the missing touch in our last couple of games where we’ve been creating chances and not taken them. We were magnificent first half, exciting on the counter-attack and looked a threat every time we went forward. I don’t think Buckland had any answer to the way we attacked in the first half.

“In the second half, naturally when you’re 4-0 up, it’s hard to maintain those levels, but I thought we managed the game really well and defended brilliantly. All over the pitch there were eights or nines out of 10 and that’s ultimately what it takes to win these matches.

“We’ve got another tough two games coming up this week, and hopefully we can keep up the momentum and keep putting points on the board.”

Buckland made the brighter start, threatening to make an early breakthrough, but the crucial first goal came at the other end in the ninth minute when Dylan Holgate’s inch-perfect cross from the right was headed in by Thomson.

The Ashes went 2-0 up in the 24th minute when Holgate, who was causing all sorts of problems wide on the right, chased a lost cause near the corner flag, beat a defender and produced another excellent cross which Thomson nonchalantly headed in.

A shell-shocked Buckland hardly had time to recover before O’Melia extended the lead three minutes later with a long-distance rocket which gave Searle no chance.

The confidence which a 3-0 lead brings was there for all to see and O’Melia added a fourth just before the break. The visitors were caught napping as he was left unmarked on the edge of the penalty area from a corner, and a first-time shot eluded defenders to race into the far corner of the net.

To round off a complete 45-minute team performance, Saltash keeper Jordan Duffey then produced a magnificent save to deny Charlie Johansen.

The Ashes continued to attack at the start of the second half, and although losing O’Melia to a knee problem, his replacement, Joe Preece, took little time in making an impression. Within a minute, he went on a mazy run through the Buckland defence and then played in Holgate who fired just wide.

Thomson had a chance to complete his hat-trick on the hour as a corner picked him out, but his effort flew agonisingly wide.

The last half-hour developed into an exercise of good defending from the home side as Buckland continued, without success, to look for some consolation from a forgettable afternoon for them.

Saltash have two more home games this week, firstly against Brixham tomorrow night (7.30pm) before a visit from bottom side Wellington on Saturday (3pm).

SALTASH UNITED: Jordan Duffey; Jack Jefford, Alfie Wotton (capt – Max Everall, 70), Sam Hillson, Sam Joce, Charlie Elkington, Kieran O’Melia (Joe Preece, 51), Frazer Ferris, Deacon Thomson (George Powell, 79), Fin Wilkes. Dylan Holgate. Subs not used: Harry Truscott, Adam Peters.

Ashes’ man-of-the-match: Dylan Holgate.