Newbury hammered at Highmoor
PALMER PARK'S athletics stadium produced a one-sided race as Highmoor Ibis maintained leadership of the Hellenic League's Division One East by a hop, step and a jump over Newbury.
Newbury, who went into the game seven points behind but with four games in hand, never got out of the blocks and were ultimately lapped several times to leave them needing to find an extra spurt to avoid the bell tolling for the end of their promotion hopes.
Highmoor mixed experience, dash and aggression and had Newbury pinned back in the early stages when Jamal Forde-Small flashed a shot over, Jordan Brown steered an overhead effort just wide and Shaun Gardiner just managed to gather at Anthony Alleyne's feet.
Craig Hill and Darren Jones had Newbury snap shots, but they were just hat as Highmoor took control and the lead after 26 minutes when Alleyne got away down the right to hit the byline and cross for Ian Griffin to head home.
And Newbury were sent spinning backwards by a second goal before the interval Tristan Campbell pumping over a free kick that the unmarked Jamal Forde-Small headed home.
The ineffective Hill and Jeff Kalejaiye made way at half-time, but the baton was merely passed to Kalief Madden and Ben McCready who had no more joy, unlike Highmoor's Jordan Brown, who scored a brilliant volley from 25 yards out within six minutes of the re-start.
Callum Willmoth had a Newbury effort, a reaction header to meet Madden's miscued shot only to miss the mark, and Carl Jenner nearly bundled in a corner. But the home side were on a lap of honour by then, and after Shaun Gardiner had twice denied the outstanding Brown, the goalkeeper was eventually sucked into the nightmare when he failed to hold onto Forde-Small's cross-shot and Alleyne picked up the pieces.
LAMBOURN SPORTS went out of the Hellenic League's Supplementary Cup, beaten 4-1 at Premier Division Ascot United.
Lee Bonn's double and goals from Jon Bennett and Zak Spencer took Ascot through, Ben Matthews netting Lambourn's consolation 15 minutes from time.
