Cleethorpes Town 5-1 Maltby Main

and stay just three points from the top of the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division table.

Manager Marcus Newell made one change to the starting eleven that drew with Handsworth Parramore in midweek with Laurence McKay replacing the unavailable Peter Winn (Winn therefore missing his first match of the season).

The Owls began slowly on a heavy, boggy pitch at Bradley and had already survived a couple of early scares before Lynton Karcach gave Maltby the lead in just the 7th minute, the striker’s shot from the edge of the penalty area beating Miles Fenty in the Cleethorpes goal before going in off the post.

The Owls searched for an immediate equaliser with Alex Flett seeing his snap snop palmed away by Maltby keeper Jamie Bailey before Danny Trott’s header moments later found the side netting. Luke Mascall was then denied by Bailey as the keeper dived low to his left to push the Cleethorpes' mans shot round the post.

Leading scorer Marc Cooper grabbed the important equaliser with 16 minutes played, netting his 25th goal of a productive season so far with a goal that Bailey in the Maltby goal will want to forget in a hurry. Cooper’s low shot from the edge of the box appeared to carry little threat but the goalkeeper inexplicably swung his leg at it and completely missed, allowing the ball to run into the empty net.

The visitors came close to restoring their lead seconds later as Karcach’s volley was comfortably saved by Fenty before Joshua Nodder curled a long range shot just wide.

Trott hit the side netting again for the hosts before a dipping shot from Jon Oglesby was easily saved by Bailey. The Owls didn’t have to wait long to take the lead though as Trott latched onto a superb long ball by Flett after 33 minutes before sprinting clear and picking his spot in the corner of the net.

The lead was increased again with 40 minutes on the clock as Oglesby’s corner deceived Bailey and went straight into the goal through the keepers hands. Just two minutes later the Owls scored again as Mascall’s 20 yard shot went in off the post to give Cleethorpes a 4-1 half time lead.

The hosts looked to increase their lead right from the kick off of the second half as Oglesby linked well with Trott to tee up Mascall whose shot flew over the bar. Cooper then saw his effort charged down by the Maltby defence before Oglesby was denied by a double save from Bailey.

To their credit, Maltby never gave up and continued trying to play neat football on the difficult surface. The visitors almost reduced the arrears as Lee Hill’s shot was well blocked by Fenty.

Cleethorpes completed the scoring with 72 minutes played as Flett’s jinking run was finished off with a tidy finish from a tight angle, with Flett the Owls fifth different scorer of the afternoon.

The only blemish on a good afternoon for the hosts came five minutes from the end as defender Laurence McKay was shown a straight red for a high and late tackle on Maltby’s Sam Forster.

Cleethorpes head into Wednesday evening’s crucial league match against second placed Bridlington Town on a good run of form and with confidence high. The visitors from East Yorkshire will provide a stern test however as they themselves are on an 11 game unbeaten run, dating back to November. Kick off at Bradley will be at 7.45pm.