Garforth 5 Bottesford Town 0

Sam Cable was handed a first start of the season, in place of the unavailable Matt Antcliff. On the bench there were welcome returns for Lee Turner who's been out with a hamstring injury, and for Duke Witter who's been away from the club since August due to band commitments.

The first twenty minutes or so were fairly even, with little hint as to what was to follow. Charlie Marshall dragged a shot wide when the ball was played in to the edge of the area by Alex Zachariou on the right, then a ball forward saw the midfielder in with another chance; his shot deflected wide. Down the other end Luke Ayris' deflected strike went just off-target when picked out by Matthew Broadley, then an overhead kick by Josh Fawcett from the resulting corner had to be tipped over the bar by Harry Flatters. Dexter Ball then went close with a trademark twenty-yarder after good work by Sam Barker, but like teammate Marshall before him, couldn't find the target.

The Miners did find the opener on 22 mins courtesy of a mistake by Bottesford keeper Jordan Quibell. After mis-controlling a long punt forward, the ball went straight to Sam Cable who raced past him and slotted into the empty net for his first goal for the club. Cable was in with another chance from Jordan Emery's delivery from the left, but his volley went over the bar. Captain Dan Coupland's inswinging corner kick was cleared off the line as the visitors desperately sought to stay in the game. Town supporters willing on the second were soon in fact treated to three brilliantly-worked goals in eleven minutes to seal the win by the break. Rinor Ejupi went down the right wing and found Barker in the box who turned and shot low across Quibell for his fortieth club goal. Only a minute later it was 3-0 when Ejupi caused more problems, delivering to Marshall in the box who fired home for a milestone of his own - his fiftieth goal in a Garforth jersey.

Marshall almost completed a quickfire brace after Emery's free kick was only half-cleared, but his shot went over the bar. Three minutes from the break it was four when Barker finished well after a flowing move with Marshall and Emery down the left. In first half injury time there was almost a rare goal for Zachariou when pouncing on Quibell's poor kick-out and racing clear of the defence, but could only skew wide.

To their credit, the shaken Poachers never gave in, and were unlucky not to get one back in injury time when Ayris' strike from Mason Chaffer's corner kick took a deflection and hit the crossbar.

Unsurprisingly given the scoreline the second half was a less eventful, and at times scrappy affair. Amid a busy fixture list, manager Paul Marshall took the opportunity to rest a few regulars and give some minutes to players on the fringes or returning from injury.

Broadley's header from a Josh Eccles corner was cleared off the line by the Town defence a minute in as the visitors tried once again to get themselves on the scoresheet. On 67 minutes Marshall was denied his second by Quibell at the second attempt after Barker's cross was cleared straight to him. Bottesford substitute Charlie Dunkerley put a 25-yard effort just wide on 81 mins, before Quibell saved Ejupi's rasping shot after a foray into the box. A Marshall free-kick 25 yards out went just wide on 87 mins, but his second followed in injury time to complete our biggest ever win over the Lincolnshiremen. Cutting in from the left, his strike took a deflection and looped over Quibell into the net.

Five wins in five for The Miners now who, with outstanding performances across the team, notched up the big win that recent performances have threatened. We're back on the road this Saturday, when we visit the Victoria Pleasure Grounds for a second meeting in seven days with last Saturday's opponents Goole (kick-off 3pm).