Competition

Date

Saturday 11th December 2010

Marine hit Bedford for six as hot Ash provides spark By Ned Payne » Swindon Advertiser

Swindon Supermarine boss Mark Collier believes a two-week break from competitive football was the key to his side’s 6-0 thrashing of Bedford Town in the Southern League Premier Division on Saturday.

 

Marine had not played since their 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Colchester on November 27, but returned to action in spectacular style as Ashan Holgate’s second-half hat-trick, following earlier efforts from captain Chris Taylor, Jamie Gosling and Sam Morris, gave them a thumping win at The New Eyrie.

 

And Collier revealed: “I think the enforced break after the Colchester game did us a favour both mentally and physically. “There was a lot of energy in the players because they hadn’t played for two weeks and were desperate to get out there. “Obviously there was a lot of disappointment after Colchester because of the manner we lost the game, and we were reminded by lots of people that there’s always a possible hangover. “Credit to the players to go out and score six goals against a team that have been fairly well-organised over the last month of the season. “It was an outstanding performance. People got on the ball, passed it and expressed themselves. Bedford tried to out-football us and it worked against them.”

 

Marine romped into a 3-0 lead inside 22 minutes as first Taylor fired home his first of the season, then Gosling added another and the recalled Morris tapped in to leave Bedford shell-shocked. Holgate got the first of his three goals shortly after the break with a classy finish, before adding efforts in the 73rd and 78th minutes, to leave his manager purring.

 

“Only last week he said he wanted to play more and score more goals and he’s certainly kept his side of the bargain,” said Collier, of his striker. “Myself and Tom (Jones, assistant manager) are always speaking to him about staying in the box more, and he had three excellent finishes. “When we first signed him, I said he‘d be a handful for any defence and he proved that against Colchester and again on Saturday. “He’s the big centre-forward but there’s more to him than just bringing other people into the game. It was his first hat-trick for Supermarine and he was pleased to take home the match ball.”

 

Match Report from a Bedford perspective

Holgate nets treble as Eagles hit for six

BY PATRICK DAY

The honeymoon period came to a shuddering halt for Bedford Town manager Ady Hall after he watched his side succumb to ruthless Swindon Supermarine, Graham Clark A second half Ashley Holgate hat-trick along with first half strikes from Chris Taylor, Jamie Gosling and Sam Morris was a fitting punishment for an awful Eagles performance.

 

Swindon dominated from the start with Sam Morris almost giving them the lead after 12 minutes.

However, the Wiltshire outfit went 1-0 up moments later when Taylor found the ball at his feet inside the box and slotted past keeper Ian Brown.

 

The away side scored their second a couple of minutes later as Town’s Tom Hole made a brilliant last-ditch tackle but the ball ran nicely for Gosling who supplied the finish. The Bedford defence was breached yet again on 22 minutes when Morris was played in, the striker scored at the second attempt after former Hitchin Town stopper Brown saved the initial effort.

 

Eagles were stunned to say the least as half-time approached and their last realistic chance to get back into the game was gone after Graham Clark (pictured) narrowly missed with a 20-yard strike. With the game all but over at the interval the home support would have hoped for a small dose of early Christmas cheer after the break but Holgate played the part of Scrooge brilliantly with a hat-trick.

 

The first of his goals was a neat finish past Brown and the second was rather easier with an open goal at his mercy. The hit man then rounded off his cameo with a well taken third goal, leaving the Bedford faithful facing a post - Boxing Day wait for the chance for their heroes to put it right on home soil against Cambridge City.