FREELANDS RUN OVER AS STANTON GO TOP

Freeland A 1 - 4 Stanton Harcourt

Freelands 100% start to the season ended with a thud infront of the television cameras and a capacity crowd at Elms Road. Stanton Harcourt out played Freeland in every department on a dull day to replace Freeland at the top of Division Four.

Freeland started well, and Bower and McNaughton were linking up well down Freelands left hand side, and Ben Harris and the rest of the Freeland defence, including an impressive debut from Gavin Welch, carried on their good work from the second half against Hollybush. The first half an hour was a stalemate, and both keepers had little to do, a Hardy cross caused a goal mouth scramble in the Stanton area and Crump fired wide at the other end.

Stanton Harcourt then took the lead as Gerken pounced on a hesitant Freeland defence and fired into the bottom corner of Mobeys goal. The game had completely turned on its head, and Freeland were on the back foot. Mobey made a fantastic save at the feet of Crump, and then forced the skillfull striker to skew another shot wide, Bower cleared a shot off the line and Freeland were grateful for the half time whistle of Mr Ben James.

Freeland tinkered with their formation slightly and pushed McNaughton upfront, but it only allowed the Stanton players more space, and they were starting to play some lovely football. Freeland did not look like they had an answer, and when Gerken superbly headed home Stantons second, and Cox fired in a third Freeland looked in total disarray.

Freeland have made a habbit of dramatic comebacks this season though, and when Panting cushioned a header down into the path of Footitt to volley home into the top corner Freeland rallied. McNaughton was put through with a great ball by Pyrah but was halted in his tracks by a foul, Glastonbury fired the free kick straight at the wall though and it looked like that was that.

It soon was over minutes later, when Kibble was stopped by a rash Tomas tackle in the Freeland box after a great run, and the impressive Craig Shepard stroked the penalty into the top corner to seal a 4 - 1 win for the boys in pink.

Freeland managers Paul Mills and Matthew Hardy will be looking to pick their players up and get a response for the tricky match next Saturday against Witney Athletic.