The UNITS marched into the last 16 of the County cup in comprehensive fashion beating a committed but ultimately limited Star FC from Bromsgrove Div 1
With a few absentees Cuzer had 14 to choose from and lined up as follows:
Mike, Danny, Brownie, Kie, Eggy, Baker, Ashton, Newton, Coco, Pountney & Hunter
Subs were Chinner, Ross & Ginge
The game ultimately was one way traffic towards the Star goal for the full 90 minutes, Brownie made one great block on 70 minutes and Mike saved a 25 yarder on the hour mark but that was the sum total of Star's ventures into our half
We took the lead on 10 minutes when Coco cut inside, floated a ball over the centre half and Pountney took a great first touch and slid the ball home from 16 yards
Pountney made it 2 on 25 minutes when this time Ashton played him in and he finished clinically across the keeper
Baker aka goal machine made it 3-0 when Coco yet again skinned the full back before crossing low and Baker ghosted in at the near post to make it 3
Pountney completed his hat trick just before half time when after a slick team move Ashton fed the ball to Lewis just inside the 18 yard box before he beat his man and gave the keeper no chance
We still missed 4 or 5 good chances in the first half, their keeper making a couple of decent stops but ultimately the game was over at half time
HT UNITS 4 v 0 Star FC
Cuzer congratulated the boys on their professionalism in the first 45 but asked the boys to keep that long overdue clean sheet and more importantly try not to ease off, which we've been guilty of before
Ginge replaced Pountney at half time giving the boy wonder a much needed rest and with gusto he couldn't wait to take the linesmans flag.......
Newton was having another excellent game in the UNITS midfield and we were all delighted to see him open his account after more unselfish work from Hunter who pulled the ball back for Newt's to drill into the bottom corner from 18 yards
Hunter was next to get on the scoresheet when from a whipped in Ashton free kick he rose highest and guided the ball back across the keeper into the far corner, 6-0
Ashton after having numerous sighters all day finally got a goal when he drilled in low from 20 yards to make it 7-0
Ashton then released Coco who unselfishly squared for Ginge to finish from 6 yards to make it 8-0
The 9th is a mystery as nobody can remember who scored it! More surprisingly nobody has so far claimed it, the general feeling was Coco had notched at some point in the 2nd half so we'll give him the goal and to massage his ego after his miss of the season contender from 6 yards!
Ginge was hacked down when through with 5 minutes remaining and Danny Giles stepped up to put a postage stamp penalty away to open his UNITS account
Chinner & Ross both got 35 minutes in the 2nd half, returning from injury, Ross could have had 4 himself and challenged Coco for miss of the season rattling the bar from 6 yards with the goal gaping
All in all a very comfortable mornings work for the UNITS and a clean sheet to boot which was nice to see. Star kept plugging away to their credit but were very limited and the UNITS face a much tougher task next week when we take on Stourbridge Rangers back in league action
Man of the match went to Paul Newton who was excellent in the midfield, both wide & centrally, not only scoring but keeping the midfield ticking throughout the 90 minutes with his work rate & passing ability
