Callum calls the shot for Crusaders

Opening cracker sets up first home success

Hungerford Town 2 Weston-Super-Mare 0

CALLUM Willmoth struck a stunning goal that steered Hungerford to an opening home win of the new Vanarama National League South campaign on Monday night.

Willmoth struck on the stroke of half-time for his first Hungerford goal, midfield partner Luke Williams claiming a second shortly after the re-start to leave Hungerford seeing out time to complete a second successive clean sheet.

Archie Collins’ early warning effort for Weston was shaken off as Hungerford had the better of the first period, having a goal disallowed when new boy Stephane Gnamvoulou was caught offside from a Williams free kick before the ball went in off Jake Lee.

Stefan Brown headed wide from a good chance and goalkeeper Luke Purnell saved well from Louis Soares before before Ashley Kington blocked a Brown shot on the line amid shouts for handball.

Willmoth game-changer came when he collected the ball from Rhys Tyler and let fly with a dipping shot that gave Purnell no chance, and when Williams’ free kick curled into the net under a series of challenges, Hungerford looked well on course for the points.

They settled for those after that goal, albeit living dangerously at times with Reid blocking a shot from team-mate Dayle Grubb when in an offside position, the flag again going up against a colleague when Kington hit the bar.

But Hungerford shored up and for a minute or two topped the table until the final whistle at Gloucester where Truro toppled them.

Hungerford Town: Ward; Tyler, Partridge, Day, Stonehouse; Williams, Herring, Gnamvoulou, Willmoth (Rees 69); Soares (Bentley 65), Brown (Clark 77), Subs: Meechan, Lawrence.

Weston-Super-Mare: Purnell; Harper, Baldwin, Pope, Greenslade; Collins, Kington, Lee, Plummer (Reid 56); Seymour (Welch 81), Grubb. Subs: Laird, Mawford, Hill.

Referee: Wayne Cartmel (Bedford). Attendance: 370.