Hartpury continue to travel well with five star performance at Longlevens

Hartpury University extended their run of away wins in all competitions to six with a 5-0 win over Longlevens on Wednesday night.

Braces from Luke Salter and Nathan Jenkins had Hartpury well on their way to three points, before Louis Manning added the fifth late one.

The win was a comprehensive one for Martin Longworth’s side, who move up to 3rd in the Hellenic Premier table with an emphatic result.

Hartpury have now won five of their six away matches in the league, keeping their first clean sheet in six matches alongside that.

The visitors started well, looking to start on the front foot and strike early. Billy Osborn was played through in the 4th minute, but Kane Winman saved his effort and the follow up from Luke Salter.

Osborn then crossed from the right, but once again Winman saved as Manning fired in at the back post.

Salter stepped up to fire a free kick start at Winman on 12 minutes, but he wouldn’t have to wait too long for his side’s opener.

After Jacob Towns beat Jack Byard in a 50/50 tackle, the ball was threaded through for Salter to take a touch and take aim past Winman.

Byard went down following the challenge an was ultimately replaced after limping off.

On half an hour, Hartpury should have made it 2-0, but Manning saw his ferociously struck effort headed off the line by the recovering Sam Kelly.

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Longlevens were much improved on the ball after half time, but after Shiyak Sutherland had a long range effort trickle through to Stephen Sarkodie, Hartpury would go on to double their lead.

The second goal summed up Longlevens’ recent luck, with Salter’s 18 yard effort taking a massive deflection to leave Winman stranded.

The closest Longlevens came to a goal on the night was a Shaun O’Connor volley that left Sarkodie scrambling to his right.

Two goals in six minutes from Jenkins saw the game end as a contest. His first was a driven effort from about 20 yards, whilst his second came after Manning had beaten Jack Beardsell down the left hand side.

Manning’s ball across the six yard box fell into Jenkins’ path, with the midfielder converting at the back post.

And Manning himself would add the fifth goal of the night, cutting in from the left hand side of the area, before curling past Winman.

One positive on the night for Longlevens is the return to action of striker, Brad Martin, who played the final 22 minutes as he made his return to football following a broken leg suffered last season.

The hosts are a side down on their luck, massively, and on a night where Ollie Long was suspended, they know that fixtures like this will not define their season.

On Saturday, they welcome Thornbury Town to Saw Mills in another massive fixture at the bottom end of the Hellenic Premier table.

For Hartpury, it is 3rd vs 5th for them this weekend, with Highworth Town the visitors – with another local derby against Slimbridge to come next midweek.

Longlevens: Winman, Parker, Kelly, Perry, Byard, Brown, Williams, O’Connor, Beardsell, Cornell, Sutherland

Subs: Richardson, Mason, Waugh, C Martin, B Martin

Hartpury University: Sarkodie, Kent, Sanniola, Merrett, Roney, Jenkins, Osborn, Towns, Kone, Salter, Manning

Subs: Giles, Robinson, MacHisa, Kang, Shyamapant

C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Nathan Jenkins (Hartpury University)