AFC Ludlow went 15 points clear at the top of West Mids Div 1 on Saturday when they beat visiting Team Dudley 5-1 at The Ludlow Football Stadium on a rain swept afternoon.
Team Dudley whom beat AFC in the league cup final last season 0-1 arrived hoping to improve on their lowly position.

AFC went into the game missing key players in Luke Hicks , Steve Brotherwood (both suspended) , Jamie Hammonds (Work Commitments) & Gavin Podmore (Back Injury) , but welcomed in Danny Crowther , Ryan Lewis & Rob Vass.

AFC started the brightest & Keanu Cooper almost gave the home side the lead within 2 minutes but his shot on the run just flew over the crossbar.
Dale Hodge thought he had got AFC the lead on 5 minutes but the visiting keeper prevailed in a one on one situation.
AFC broke the deadlock on 12 minutes when Captain Jack Beaumont played the ball into Cooper who played in Kieran Dovey who placed his shot under the visiting keeper.
Hodge , Cooper & Jason Wellings all had chances to make it 2 whilst at the other end Ian Havard in the home goal dealt with a few shots from distance by the visitors.
AFC did make it 2 on 33 minutes when Jamie Edwards picked out Dale Hodge with a sublime 30 yard pass & Hodge got the ball under control & away from his marker before poking the ball under the advancing keeper.
Team Dudley who were seeing a lot of the ball just couldn't seem able to break down the AFC rear guard.

Half Time 2-0

The 2nd half continued much as with the 1st with AFC continuing to create the better chances and on 58 minutes their pressure told when some slick interplay between Cooper & Hodge set up Dovey for his 2nd when he beat the offside trap and placed it into the bottom corner despite the keepers best efforts.
Team Dudley didn't let their heads drop & looked a real threat on the break & were always in the game despite the score line but with the backline of Aaron Hodge , Aaron Dovey , Danny Crowther & Beaumont the home side were looking strong & defended solidly & were looking to keep a clean sheet but on 65 minutes a challenge on the edge of the AFC box was deemed a foul by the referee and he pointed to the penalty spot which baffled the home side but was dually dispatched down the middle with Havard diving to his right.
AFC then made changes with Rob Vass coming on for Jamie Smith & Ryan Lewis replaced Crowther & almost immediately front man Lewis picked up the ball on the edge of the area & skipped past 2 defenders before seeing his shot tipped around the post by the keeper.
Just 2 minutes later Lewis did make it 4 when he drove in from the left & curled a superb drive from the edge of the box past the diving keeper.
Team Dudley had a couple of chances to reduce the score line with one effort coming back off a post but it was the home side who should of got the next goal when Jamie Edwards tricked his way past his marker & played the ball across the box but the onrushing Cooper saw his control let him down at the vital moment.
Wellings & Dovey both came close to adding another goal but it was Cooper who made it 5 to AFC with 5 minutes to go when a corner was only half cleared to the edge of the box & from 18 yards he rifled his right foot shot into the far corner to get the goal his overall performance deserved.

Full Time 5-1
This Saturday AFC play host to Trysull with a 2pm Kick Off with whom the sides fought out a 1-1 earlier on in the season.

AFC should be able to welcome back to the squad Luke Hicks , Gavin Podmore , Stephen Brotherwood & Jamie Hammonds.

AFC Ludlow

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