Kesgrave's preparation for this tough fixture was far from ideal, with Scott Ramsey and Jason Middleditch joining Chris Melsa and Dan Middleditch on the list of absentees, meaning the Penguins were just able to scrape eleven players together.

Belstead had won the Premier Division the season previous to the Penguins and were sure to be keen to demonstrate their ability and so it proved on a wet morning at Chantry Park.

Having survived one early let-off, Kesgrave fell behind in circumstances similar to last week's second half collapse against Shotley Rose, with Belstead's right winger rising unmarked in the middle of the penalty area to nod home from a corner.

The Penguins didn't recover from the early blow and were being out-fought and out-sprinted all over the park, with Belstead's midfielders frequently breaking onto the Kesgrave back four. Their main striker wasted two good opportunities before an unfortunate slip by Farley, filling in at left back, gave Belstead's right winger a sight of goal and his shot squirmed under Gaunt's foot inside the near post to make it 2-0.

The visitors finally responded to produce two good opportunities but failed to hit the target on both occasions. First Eley raced on to Duff's excellent through ball only to blaze wide, before a right wing cross found it's way to Harris who scuffed wastefully wide on the volley from the angle of the six yard box.

The misses came back to haunt Kesgrave as they again gave the ball away cheaply in their own half and completely outnumbered, were unable to prevent Belstead's powerful striker sliding the ball past Gaunt.

Curtis headed narrowly wide just before half time but Kesgrave trudged off the field having produced a gutless performance that had seen them outclassed by their admittedly very talented opponents.

The second half started more brightly for Kesgrave with Eley and Jason Ramsey both getting shots in and the visitors generally maneuvering the ball better, but that work was undone inside five minutes as Belstead produced a near replica of their third goal with the Penguins again losing the ball poorly on the right-hand side.

With Belstead taking their foot off the gas slightly there were more sights of goal for the Penguins over the course of the second half, but they found the home keeper in good form as he tipped over a Curtis drive and made an excellent diving stop to deny Jason Ramsey as he looked to bend a shot into the far corner.

Gaunt was still being kept busy though and he made three good saves before Belstead's right winger completed his hat-trick to tie up the scoring - cutting in before firing decisively inside the near post.

Woolnough saw an effort cleared off the line after Belstead's keeper had fumbled a corner, but it would have been scant consolation for Kesgrave who had meekly surrendered their unbeaten record and suffered their worst defeat in the five and a half years since their formation.

The only players to emerge with any real credit from a dire display were the left-sided pair of Farley and Jason Ramsey, on a day when Kesgrave were shown up by far superior opposition.

Kesgrave Man of the Match: Jack Farley

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