Witney Town visited the Elms on New Year’s Eve to face an in-form Highworth side looking to improve their league position. With a new manager and some new faces in their line-up, this was always going to be a tough game for the Blanketmen who have not had a great season to date and occupy the third from bottom spot in the league.

Within one minute of the kick-off, Sean McKeon got himself into a great position just inside the box and hit a crisp shot to put the Worthians into an early lead. The Blanketmen did their best to get back into the game but it was the Worthians who dominated with their neat passes and great movement.

After a quarter of an hour, Dan Hilder put in a great cross from the right and Rory Sproule finished with a crisp header into the roof of the net to double the Highworth lead.

On the half-hour mark, Highworth increased their lead when Hilds collected the ball just over the half-way line, surged forward and realising keeper Lee Farron was off his line, delicately chipped the ball into the far corner of the net for an absolutely sublime finish.

The half finished with the Worthians cruising and the Blanketmen heads down and dejected. After the re-start, Witney played with determination to get back into the game and Highworth had taken the foot off the gas somewhat. During one foray into the Highworth penalty area, Alfie Saunders fired off a crisp shot which hit the crossbar.

This was the warning shot the Worthians needed and they began to settle back into their stride and again dominated the game with their neat passes and great off-the-ball movement. Rory Sproule collected a pass from the right on the edge of the penalty box, calmly rounded a defender and fired home for Highworth’s fourth and his second of the afternoon.

There was some great football played out there this afternoon and after one series of movements, Tony Joyce knocked the ball into Sean McKeon who powered his way through a melee of players to the goal-line and knocked a great cross into the path of Josh Parsons who finished from two yards out for Highworth’s fifth.

The Blanketmen were now totally demoralised and looking for the final whistle. Gary Hill and Craig Curtis both had a chance to finish from less than a yard but the ball tantalisingly sat up just out of reach. Shortly after, Josh Parsons rounded two defenders in the box, sat the keeper down and finished cleanly for his second of the afternoon. He could have got his hat-trick a few minutes later when a partially blocked shot fizzed past an upright.

This was a great win going into Monday’s game against Slimbridge but Witney Town are in the process of re-grouping and may not provide as stiff a test as the Swans who have recently put in a decent run in the league themselves. However, if we play the kind of football that we have been playing in the last three or four games. I can’t see too many teams in this league getting one over on us!