Chalford 4ths run riot against Minchinhampton Rangers to clinch Stroud League title
Chalford 4ths scored six first half goals as they secured the Stroud League Division Five South title, winning 8-0 away to a young Minchinhampton Rangers side.
Needing a win with their final game of the season, Chalford settled any potential nerves inside 8 minutes, scoring twice through Harry Wootten and playing some good football.
Two goals in quick succession had them 4-0 up after 23 minutes, as Wootten completed his hattrick before Russell Chamberlain curled home a fourth.
Ben Newman produced a tidy finish to make it 5-0 before Josh Scrivens completed the first half scoring with a six goal on the break.
As the darkness started to settle in around Nailsworth, Chalford added two further goals in the second half as both sides continued to try and play.
Chalford secure the title after a great run of 10 wins in a row since November, with their only two defeats coming back in September.
For Minchinhampton Rangers, they remain in 5th place with two games remaining and know that is the highest they can finish this season.
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Chalford netted for the first time on six minutes when a corner was nodded down for Daniel Clark, who saw his effort blocked into the path of Wootten, who hooked home from close range.
Wootten was played through by Ben Newman just sixty seconds later and the forward produced a superb lob to make it two and get rid of any nerves that could have potentially been present.
Daniel Cooke switched to Wootten with a superb pass, with the ball then played through for Josh Scrivens, but he fired over.
Wootten completed a 20 minute hattrick as he converted from another corner. It was a carbon copy of his first, as a corner was headed down and after a block, he spun and volleyed home.
Two minutes later, it was four as Harry Cook and Scrivens combined well down the right, with the ball laid to Russell Chamberlain who curled into the bottom corner beautifully.
On half an hour another corner caused havoc in the box, with Luke Barstow somehow volleying over from about six yards.
Scrivens and Clark sent efforts off target as the visitors continued to press and press, before Newman combined neatly with Barstow on the edge of the box to leave him one on one and curling in a well taken fifth for his side.
The sixth came right on half time as a Minchinhampton Rangers corner was punched cleared and played long for Scrivens, who beat the on-rushing keeper to the ball, before cutting back in the box and slotting home past the recovering defender.
After the break, Chalford nearly added a seventh in the early exchanges, but Adam Thomas lobbed the keeper and the goal after being played in on goal.
But they didn’t have to wait too long for their next goal, as a free kick was headed home by centre back Huw Syrett, who swooped to nod into the bottom corner.
Chances came few and far between from there as the gloom was settling in. Chalford keeper Matthew Tatum did produce a stunning save to palm a Sam Bayne free kick out of the top corner with the hosts best chance of the contest.
The scoring was completed with just over ten minutes remaining as substitute John McClarkin was threaded through by Thomas and he tucked it home calmly enough.
Chalford will be able to celebrate their title success knowing their season is done, whilst Minchinhampton Rangers conclude their season with home games against Alkerton Rangers on Saturday and Leonard Stanley Reserves next Wednesday night.
Minchinhampton Rangers: Max Dawson, Matt Dawson, Sheppard, Booth, Bayne, Morton-Ford, Ferdinando, Baines, Smith, Innes, Hopkins
Subs: Morris, Williams, Foreman, Gandy, Green
Chalford 4ths: Tatum, Cook, Barstow, Syrett, Ryan, Clark, Cooke, Chamberlain, Newman, Wootten, Scrivens
Subs: Thomas, Buxton-Blyth, McClarkin, Morris, Morgan
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Daniel Cooke (Chalford 4ths)
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