**FROLESWORTH UNITED 6-1 WHITE LION**
FROLESWORTH United responded from their embarrassing defeat at the hands of nine-men last week, with a resounding 6-1 thumping of promotion-chasers White Lion at the Warren on Sunday morning.
Two own goals in the first-half sent the Rabbits on their way, before Joe Cook, Jake Pantony, Jack Sutherland and Miles Splevings completed the rout to give United their first win since January 16th and put an end to a dismal run of five games without a win.
A delighted manager Ben Harris described the performance as, ‘probably the best of the season so far,’ in what was a complete reversal of last week’s showing, as he welcomed back no fewer than five players to his match day squad.
Luke Evans returned from the United States with captain Mark Baker to bravely fill the void between the posts, after it was d that Matt Errington would miss the rest of the season through injury and he put in a sterling performance to exorcise the ghosts of Horsewell Lane earlier in the campaign.
Baker returned alongside Jack Boulton in a familiar back-four, with Martin Finnigan this time preferred on the left and Joe Swanwick retained his place in midfield alongside Pantony, in front of the admiring Josie Parr.
Harris welcomed back both Sutherland and Sam Young to the fray, meaning Splevings was named on the right-hand side and Cook in the hole with Mr. Frolesworth himself, Matt Pell, returning to the bench following his loan spell with Premier Division Sporting Highcross.
And it was the home side who began menacingly and they took the lead after just 11 minutes courtesy of some excellent play down the left from Young. He galloped clear on the far side before sending an inviting cross towards Splevings at the backpost, but it was opposing defender Scott Gray who could only lash it into his own net attempting to clear.
If Lady Luck hadn’t been smiling down on Frolesworth this season, she certainly was at Hall Park on this evidence as United were the beneficiaries of a second own goal just after the half hour. It was Young again this time the tormentor, but after his shot was superbly saved, it hit the helpless Lion defender on its way out and flew back in past the stranded goalkeeper.
Young then broke the offside-trap again moments before the break, but he somehow contrived to fire wide one-on-one as half of the ground thought it was in. And it looked momentarily as though his miss would come back to haunt Frolesworth, as the visitors were awarded a penalty in contentious circumstances.
Pantony was adjudged to have fouled Mark Bradbury by referee Vernon Turner, who at half-time stated there was no contact between the two players. The decision left both Boulton and captain Baker visibly furious, with the coaching staff apoplectic on the touchline.
But justice was duly served as Bradbury, who dived to win his side the penalty, mis-placed his spot-kick wide of the upright. He wouldn’t be denied for much longer, however, as just three minutes after the restart he fired home a terrific finish from the edge of the box to reduce the arrears.
But United, who had been renowned for throwing away leads, have improved vastly this year having lost just twice when they have scored first and they were keen to extend that record as Cook gave the hosts further breathing space by notching the third in the 56th minute with a superb volley, Young again the provider.
And the points were made safe just three minutes after the hour mark, as talisman Pantony silenced the critics by lashing in a 30-yard drive from Baker’s short free-kick and in doing so, registering his 10th goal of a fantastic campaign so far.
Sutherland then breached the offside-trap once more to add his second in as many games to make it five in the 72nd minute and Splevings bagged his fifth goal of the season with just four minutes to play to complete the scoring.
United have certainly been somewhat of an enigma this season, having won nine and lost the same amount. But if they can find some consistency and play like this for the remaining seven games, they will certainly win more games than they lose and will be a match for promotion favourites Sparta Moshdock and Perrin Rangers.
FROLESWORTH: (4-2-3-1) EVANS 7, JAMES 7, BAKER 8, BOULTON 8, FINNIGAN 7, PANTONY 8, SWANWICK 8 (MOM), SUTHERLAND 8 SPLEVINGS 7, COOK 8, YOUNG 8. SUBS: PELL 7.
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